coaxingly, then cheerily and confidently, the next moment in a
plaintive, far-away manner. He would half open his wings, and twinkle
them caressingly, as if beckoning his mate to his heart. One morning
she had come, but was shy and reserved. The fond male flew to a
knothole in an old apple-tree, and coaxed her to his side. I heard a
fine confidential warble,--the old, old story. But the female flew to a
near tree, and uttered her plaintive, homesick note. The male went and
got some dry grass or bark in his beak, and flew again to the hole in
the old tree, and promised unremitting devotion, but the other said,
"Nay," and flew away in the distance. When he saw her going, or rather
heard her distant note, he dropped his stuff, and cried out in a tone
that said plainly enough, "Wait a minute. One word, please," and flew
swiftly in pursuit. He won her before long, however, and early in April
the pair were established in one of the four or five boxes I had put up
for them, but not until they had changed their minds several times. As
soon as the first brood had flown, and while they were yet under their
parents' care, they began another nest in one of the other boxes, the
female, as usual, doing all the work, and the male all the
complimenting. A source of occasional great distress to the mother bird
was a white cat that sometimes followed me about. The cat had never
been known to catch a bird, but she had a way of watching them that was
very embarrassing to the bird. Whenever she appeared, the mother
bluebird would set up that pitiful melodious plaint. One morning the
cat was standing by me, when the bird came with her beak loaded with
building material, and alighted above me to survey the place before
going into the box. When she saw the cat she was greatly disturbed, and
in her agitation could not keep her hold upon all her material. Straw
after straw came eddying down, till not half her original burden
remained. After the cat had gone away the bird's alarm subsided, till
presently, seeing the coast clear, she flew quickly to the box and