it occurred to the fascinated observer that possibly the wren was trying to barri- 

 cade the door of its home against the intrusion of sparrows and other birds; 

 for, while the tiny owner could dart in and out with ease, the opening was now 

 too small for larger birds to enter. 



But this conclusion may not be correct, and whether the so-called barri- 

 cading of the door was accidental or for a purpose is still an open question, and 

 worthy of study. If the boys of Allegheny county during the coming year will 

 erect 500 boxes for wrens, and observe what the birds do in building their 

 nests in them, some light may be thrown on this subject. If only a few of the 

 boxes have twigs protruding from the door, and partly closing it, the obstruction 

 is probably accidental; but if a very large percentage of the boxes have the 

 opening partly closed with the end of protruding twigs, and similar conditions 

 are not found in doors of boxes occupied by larger birds, the partly closed door 

 was probably intended to protect the home of the little tenant from his larger 

 enemies. 



In making this study the boys should observe that if the opening to the 

 bird-box is small, slightly less than an inch in diameter, the necessity for partly 

 closing it will not exist. Who will help to solve this interesting problem and 

 show that this busy Httle builder, who is so active and so interested in his work, 

 and yet finds time to pour out his soul in song, as an exultant expression of the 

 pleasure he finds in life and work and in the building of the home he is making 

 for his mate and his little ones — who will help to show whether the partial 

 closing of the door to his home in the bird-box to which reference has been 

 made is a matter of accident, or the result of an instinct against enemies that 

 amounted almost to a purpose? 



While a young man the writer was very fond of hunting, and no sport was 

 enjoyed with keener delight than that of shooting partridges on the wing. But 

 one season a nest was found back of the orchard with more than a dozen eggs 

 in it. It was intensely interesting to walk past this nest at a distance and notice 

 the patience with which the mother presided and waited for the day when the 

 nest could be vacated. At last it was empty, and the patience turned into industry 

 and care for young birds that at first could run, but could not fly. During the 

 summer the flock was seen from time to time, as it rose and flew to safer quar- 

 ters. In the fall the birds were plump and fat, ready for the hunter's skill 

 and for his table. One morning early in December, after a light snow had fallen, 

 the hunter thought of the partridges. He took a gun and went out to look for 

 them. Presently their tracks were found in the back part of the corn field. After 

 following the tracks for some distance, the bevy was seen under some bushes 

 in a fence corner. The birds were grouped in a small semi-circle, with their 

 heads outward. A single shot would bag the whole bevy, but it seemed like 

 cold-blooded murder for the hunter to bombard the family that he had come 

 to regard as his personal neighbors. He would give them the chance of the 

 sportsman by tossing a stone into the bushes, and then try to pick off one or 



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