BLUE BIRD. 57 



garden, or the bole in the old apple tree, the cradle of some 

 generations of his ancestors. " When he first begins his 

 amours," says a curious and correct observer, " it is pleasing 

 to behold his courtship, his solicitude to please and to secure 

 the favour of his beloved female. He uses the tenderest ex- 

 pressions, sits close by her, caresses and sings to her his most 

 endearing warblings. When seated together, if he espies an 

 insect delicious to her taste, he takes it up, flies with it to 

 her, spreads his wing over her, and puts it in her mouth." * 

 If a rival makes his appearance, — for they are ardent in their 

 loves, — he quits her in a moment, attacks and pursues the 

 intruder as he shifts from place to place, in tones that bespeak 

 the jealousy of his affection, conducts, him with many reproofs, 

 beyond the extremities of his territory, and returns to warble 

 out his transports of triumph beside his beloved mate. The 

 preliminaries being thus settled, and the spot fixed on, they 

 begin to clean out the old nest and the rubbish of the former 

 year, and to prepare for the reception of their future offspring. 

 Soon after this, another sociable little pilgrim (Motacilla 

 domestica, house wren) also arrives from the south, and, 

 finding such a snug berth preoccupied, shows his spite, by 

 watching a convenient opportunity, and, in the absence of the 

 owner, popping in and pulling out sticks; but takes special 

 care to make off as fast as possible. 



The female lays five, and sometimes six eggs, of a pale 

 blue colour ; and raises two, and sometimes three broods in 

 a season ; the male taking the youngest under his particular 

 care while the female is again sitting. Their principal food 

 are insects, particularly large beetles, and others of the cole- 

 opterous kinds that lurk among old, dead, and decaying trees. 

 Spiders are also a favourite repast with them. In the fall, 

 they occasionally regale themselves on the berries of the sour 

 gum, and, as winter approaches, on those of the red cedar, 

 and on the fruit of a rough hairy vine that runs up and cleaves 

 fast to the trunks of trees. Kipe persimmons is another of 

 * Letter from Mr William Bartram to tlie author. 



