THEIR FIRST YEAR’S MARRIED LIFE. 63 
Now what does this immaculate witness 
say transpired at this meeting ? Why, that 
the Thrushes declared that the young one was 
theirs, and persisted in saying so, even when 
he expressed his surprise at their having five 
young ones instead of four, the number that 
he had heard they had originally hatched. 
After beating about the bush, and trying to 
catch them in some trap or other, in which he 
does not seem to have succeeded, he boldly 
told them, at last, that he had seen them steal 
it from the parent nest. The answer that they 
made to this accusation does not appear from 
his evidence, and we are to judge that they 
were so dumbfounded that they could make no 
reply, but gazed on him with mouth agape and 
feathers fluttering with dismay. 
Now what do the defendants say to all 
this ? Simply, that, as they were debating as 
to how the young one got into their house, and 
what they should do with it. Blue Jay came 
along, and after sympathizing with them at 
their being imposed upon by the old Robins, 
as they supposed they had been, and he took 
