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 I50 THE CONDOR VOL. VI Crowley Pasture, Lewistown, Mont., June 4.--I have always chided Bob for singing so persistently near our nest, and now he has brought ruin upon us by his xnerry jingles. Like Adam of old, though, he insists that I alone am to blame. Bob always was an ardent suitor, however, and now that our home has been de- spoiled, he has an opportnnity to retune his voice and enjoy another period of bobolink honeymoon, while I am establishing a new home in another part of the pasture. There was a centain fence post whereon Bob was accustomed to sing whenever I was in my nest, and it seems that one Silloway, a regular crank rob- ber of birds' nests, became suspicious regarding the frequent singing of Bob at that particular place. At any rate, the collector kept watching that little corner of swampy meadow, and frequently searched through it for a nest of bobolink. To- day he entered the little corner when I was on my nest, and all the while Bob sat on that fence post and sang like the silly lover that he is, until from sheer ecstacy I fluttered from the tuft. ,The books say, I am told, that I always leave my nest by stealth and rise many feet away from it; but it is a failing of the books to interpret individual actions as general habits. Bobolinks do act thus on occasions, probably when suspecting danger at hand, but really I did not know that the arch-enemy was near, and somehow I fluttered right out of the tuft. He weut straight to the spot, and looking down among the open grass blades, saw my three eggs with two that Mrs. Cowbird had intruded upon me. "Thanks, Mrs. Bobolink," he cried, "thanks for small favors I had rather my first set of bobolink had been larger. Why did you stop with three eggs, anyway, when the books credit you with five to seven?" And come to think of it, why did I stop with three? I suppose that in making room for Mrs. Cowbird's imposition, I found our snug cot comfortably filled and so contented myself with the smaller number. If he looks over the other portion of the meadow, he will find several nests of seven, without cowbird's, and I will stake my reputation that he will find them before many hours. (This prediction of Mrs. Bobolink was verified before many days. P.M.S.) Crowley Swamp, Lewistown, Mont., June 7.--Why on earth does a grown-up nmn want to grope around in a cat-tail swamp, wading to his middle in mud and water, and frightening us poor soras half to death? Why does he? I used to wonder at it, but tonight I can answer the question from bitter experience. He wants our eggs, o course. Now I have nested in this little pond for the past four years, and have seen that egg-crank Silloway wander around here each season, but some way or another he never seenled to think of entering my chosen donmin. Today, however, when he went past he eyed the rushes as if he intended to invade them, but passed on as usual, and I settled myself to a forenoon of enjoyment in my snug basket of rushes. At length I heard a crashing and splashing which came nearer and nearer, and before I was aware of it the nest robber was brush- ing against my grass tuft. Of course I flew out with a scream of fright, and in a moment he was gloating over my fourteen eggs arranged so nicely in two layers. "Another good find, and a good record made," uttered the collector, "for the sora nests not only in Montana but in Fergus county and within sight of Lewistown." Thus I lost my eggs. I'll warrant me that he had a hard time preparing those eggs for his cabinet, for the last one had been laid some days, and I even expected some of them to begin to hatch tomorrow. Well, if he enjoys it, let him take them. I'll lay another lot. It will only take me two weeks. (The eggs were found to be a trifle incubated, as Mrs. Sora leads us to infer, but they made a nice set at any rate. P.M.S.) Lewistown, W[ontana.