420 



AMERICAN FORl'.S'l'RY 



taiiily practised by this 

 species (Ilclcodytes bi- 

 culor), as well as by all 

 forms I know of, Phcngo- 

 f'cdiiis, Ilcnkorh'ma, and 

 Doiiacobiiis. In all these 

 cases the birds sit close to- 

 gether, the male a little 

 above the female, and his 

 song is usually louder and 

 more brilliant than hers. 

 Heleodytes bicolor gurgles 

 a loud, clear, oriole-like 

 ■ Keep your feet wet." The 

 female, three inches below 

 and a little to one side, 

 IKiralk'ls this advice with 

 an evenly timed ' What 

 d'you care?' in perfect uni- 

 son usually with the re- 

 iterated phrases of her 

 mate. Donacobius does it 

 somewhat differently, as 

 the female only says 'wank, 

 wank, wank,' while the 

 male sits just above and 

 sings almost exactly like a 

 cardinal, or a boy whistling 

 loudly to his dog, 'hui, hui, 

 luii.' If the male gives 



only three phrases, so with the female; if, however, the 

 male repeats his whistle a dozen times, the female he- 

 gins and ends in exact time with him." 



As suggested in the first paragraph, the nests of most 

 wrens are placed in holes, either in hollow limbs, in crev- 



A HOME DESPOILED 



A bumble bee has here utilized the nest of a marsh wren instead of that of a 

 meadow mouse, as is his custom. A broken eggshell tells of the former occupant 

 — a cell of honey possibilities for the future. 'Ihe bee constructed an inner roof 

 over the chamber containing the honey cell. 



ices in the rocks, in cran- 

 nies about buildings, or in 

 nesting boxes erected for 

 them. Some species, how- 

 ever, like the marsh wrens, 

 build globular structures 

 suspended in the reeds of 

 the marshes, while the cac- 

 tus wren makes an enor- 

 mous structure of thorny 

 twigs, placing it well within 

 the heart of a Spanish 

 bayonet or branching 

 cactus. 



The energy and indus- 

 try of wrens find expres- 

 sion for itself in the build- 

 ing of duplicate nests. Not 

 content with having com- 

 jileted one nest, many spe- 

 cies, if not all, continue to 

 carry material until half .-i 

 dozen nests may be con- 

 structed. If they are hole- 

 nesting species, every 

 cranny in the vicinity will 

 be stuffed full of sticks. If 

 they are marsh wrens, they 

 will place their globular 

 structures usually within a 

 short radius, although in late summer and early fall, with 

 their energy not yet failing even after rearing two broods 

 of young, they may scatter their nests wherever the spirit 

 seems to move them. The reason for building these dupli- 

 cate nests, as suggested in American" Forestry for De- 

 cember, 1916. ]5robably had its origin in the effort of the 

 male to secure more than one mate, and indicates that the 



A MARSH WREN AT ITS NEST 



A long-billed marsh wren at its globular nest hung in the cat-tails of the marsh. 

 The opening is in one side. 



THE BEAL'TIFUL LITTLE SHORT-BILLED MARSH WREN 



The bird at its nest in the sedges. This species does not frequent the deep-water 

 marshes, but prefers the sedgy borders or even wet meadows. 



