thayer] 



A DA Y'S IVOR A' IN BIRD-LAND 



293 



morning and another was immediately sought. It was found at nine 

 o'clock, and observation began twenty minutes later, ending at 6:46 

 p.m. when rain began, the total time being nine hours and twenty- 

 six minutes. 



This nest was in an apple tree, about thirty feet from the pewee's 

 nest; and was in a woodpecker's hole in a branch so rotten that a 

 slight pull broke it and disclosed the nest. Repairs were made with 

 a couple of shoe-strings, but many times during the day both birds 

 wandered up and down the cracks as if to ascertain what had happened 

 to their home. 



There were five birds about three days old in the tiny nest, which 

 was made of twigs, feathers and soft grasses. 



Mr. Allan C. Richardson, Mr. Fred Bourn, Miss Nora E. Bourn 

 and I chose to watch the wrens. We were more fortunate than some 

 of our associates, for the male never but once approached the nest 

 without giving utterance to the most captivating little song, no matter 

 how large an insect he had in his bill, and rarely did his mate fail to 

 show herself and daintly take the choice morsels as he leaned over 

 her. He was such a charming little bird, showing the little mother 

 every attention, yet withal keeping the young provided with food. 

 Food which consisted of cutworms, grasshoppers, cabbage-caterpillars 

 and black insects which we could not identify, was brought to the 

 nest one hundred and thirteen times, with an average of twelve insects 

 per hour. 



The male brought food ninety-one times and the female, twenty- 

 two; by hours as follows: 



From 9.20 A. M. to 10.20 A. M. 15 times 



M . 



We wished to know more of this little wren family, so four days' 

 later, Miss Bourn and I seated ourselves in the orchard near the wren's 

 nest at 3.30 o'clock to be ready for the "Good-morning." It was 

 4.24 a. m. when the male came singing, and in an instant, the female 

 appeared at the opening. Then began a busy day, the wrens feeding 



