64 Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis 



sheds, frequent the wood pile and brusli heaps and may 

 be approaclied within a few stejjs. But it is not only the 

 farms wliich enjoy tliis familiarity — in the village and 

 even in the large towns are they at liome, and there are 

 probably very few houses in the Ozarks from which their 

 song cannot be heard during a large i)art of tlie yrar. 



Most of them leave Missouri in the fall and spend the 

 coldest months in the more southern states, but some are 

 pennanent residents, remaining ^\^th us all the year 

 round, spending the cold winter niglits in some sheltered 

 nook about the outhouses and seeking their insect food 

 among the piles of wood, the crannies in the walls and 

 trees wherever insects hide themselves or their eggs. It 

 is one of the most useful birds on a farm, working nearly 

 the whole year in the interest of the farmer, since those 

 that winter farther south return to us early in March. 

 Like the common House Wren our Bewick's AVren makes 

 its nest in holes, selecting any cavity out of reach of the 

 house cat for a nesting site. Being a welcome \isitor 

 everywhere it often builds in some nook about the house 

 or stable and, wdiere such are provided for them, in bird 

 boxes. Where suitable sites are not to be had it selects 

 sometimes queer places such as the pocket of a coat hang- 

 ing on the wall, the board over a door, shelves in rooms, 

 or in any kind of vessel accessible to them. Tt is now 

 very seldom that it goes back to its original nesting sites, 

 the natural cavity of a tree or old woodjieckers' holes. 

 For ordinary use it has a soft, low call note, but when 

 surprised or on the approach of an enemy it utters angry 

 scolding notes and defends its young l)y bold swoops 

 upon the intruder. Two broods are usually made, Imt if 

 one should come to naught they try it for a third time. 

 While feeding their broods of tive or six young they de- 

 stroy an enormous number of noxious insects in the gar- 

 den and orchard, thereby becoming great benefactors to 

 the horticulturist. 



Another bird characteristic of the Ozarks, having there 



