1907] How TO Make a Bird Sanctuary Anywhere 33 



their own with, and unless the old man comes home pretty often, 

 his hen might need a new nest, and perhaps new legs too, for 

 I have seen two cedar birds pull so hard on the loose strings in 

 the bottom of a nest that they both swung to and fro, hanging 

 free in the air. Young birds with their first nest have a good deal 

 to learn. They have "inherited instinct" in large quantities, 

 but the longer they live the more they learn, and in that we have 

 no advantage ourselves. For instance, I never knew till last 

 year that a pair of Parkman's wrens might, through jealousy on 

 their part and a little want of ordinary care on the other side, 

 destroy nest after nest of their neighbours. On our verandah 

 the wrens certainly were the ancient Britons, they found the place 

 uninhabited and they unfurled their flag. I didn't notice the 

 skull and cross bones on it, but welcomed them with open arme. 

 I am bound to say they were careful to keep away from open arms 

 but they got tame enough to go about all their little affairs and 

 pay no attention to the big two-legged incumbrances, who 

 certainly did sometimes get in the way by keeping them off the 

 back of a chair that would Have been a good place to sit on for 

 a minute and shriek with joy. Two years' sole possession is 

 probably enough to rnake any wrens feel absolute lords and sole 

 owners of a chosen nesting place. This may account for the 

 anger of our wrens when the Saxons came over in the shape of 

 two swallows, and built a house within ten feet of their house. 

 I don't think the Britons felt strong enough to fight in the open 

 but they held much counsel in the dark, and I noticed that those 

 young Saxons had a hard time in feathering their nest. They 

 carried feathers from all over British Columbia without filling 

 the nest; for, what the wrens could not use themselves, I think 

 they sold or gave away to cedar birds, kingbirds, yellow-throats, 

 etc., in fact, to any bird in need. Finally, the swallows decided 

 that it took years of experience to feather a nest, and they laid 

 four eggs on such material as was left . This so upset the wrens 

 that they were at a loss what to do for some time. I know this 

 because I was laid up sick on the verandah, and they had several 

 chances of revenge which they did not take. There must have 

 been a thorough discussion of the whole case about the time the 

 swallows' eggs were three days incubated. For several days the 

 swallows had never been both absent together, as one came in 

 the other went out, and so on all day, in from five to ten minute 

 intervals. One day, however, this care was relaxed for a few 

 minutes ; I suppose the hen met a friend and began some dis- 

 cussion as to how feathers were to be worn or not worn, and over- 

 ly stayed her time ; then the old man having as much patience as 

 ^ most of us would have if we had to help with the incubating, 



