OUR HOME BIRDS. 
105 
nest, but instantaneously fluttered back with much 
apparent hesitation, and perched upon the highest 
branch of the tree, uttering a rapidly-repeated note 
of complaint and resentment, which soon brought 
the male, who reciprocated her feelings by every 
demonstration of the most vindictive resentment. 
They entered the nest together, and returned several 
times, uttering their uninterrupted complaints for fif- 
teen minutes. The male then darted aw^ay to the 
neighboring trees, as if in quest of the offender, and 
fell upon a cat-bird, which he 'chastised severely, and 
then turned to an innocent sparrow that was chant- 
ing its ditty in a peach tree. Notwithstanding the 
affront was so passionately resented, I found the 
blue-bird had laid an egg the next day/ ” 
“ I wish he had caught that horrid cow-bird/’ said 
Clara. “ What a shame, to punish the poor little birds 
who had not done anything !” 
“ Please tell us some more stories about the cow- 
bird, Miss Harson,” said little Edith, “ they are so 
funny.” 
“Here is a little one,” replied her governess, 
“ about a young cow-bird that w T as put into the same 
cage with a red-bird. At first the old bird looked 
very hard at the little one, and examined it closely 
with great curiosity. It soon became clamorous for 
food, and from that moment the red-bird seemed to 
