Notes from Field and Study 



143 



A Wren's Nest Inside a Hornets' Nest 



The accompanying photograph shows 

 a nest of the white-faced hornet which 

 contains the nest of a House Wren. 



The hornets' nest was fastened to the 

 outside of a house in 

 Rosendale, N. Y., in 

 1914. On July 4, 1915, I 

 took it down to examine 

 it, naturally without sus- 

 pecting the presence of a 

 bird's domicile, when two 

 House Wren's eggs rolled 

 out through the opening 

 in the wall. Further in- 

 vestigation showed that 

 the Wren's nest filled the 

 greater part of the inte- 

 rior. The nest is now 

 preserved in the Brooklyn 

 Museum. — F. Schwerd- 

 TFEGER, Brooklyn, N. Y. 



Bird Notes for 1916, 

 from Orient, L. I. 



Great Black-backed 

 Gull. — One April 6, 

 latest record by one day; 

 former latest record, 

 April 5, 1915. 



Hooded Merganser. 

 — Flock of 10, January 3, were in our 

 waters eight days. A very rare water-fowl 

 near Orient, especially in winter. 



Wood Duck. — Two records for the 

 year: A male on December 8. Female 

 picked up dead in a neighbor's yard 

 December 3. The bird was still warm. 

 This specimen had an American Museum 

 tag on its leg, which became mislaid be- 

 fore I could get possession of it or 

 the numbers thereon. One wing was 

 clipped. 



Canada Goose. — A flock of 32. May 5 

 is a new late date for last one seen. An- 

 other flock was observed on May 3. These 

 two dates comprise the only May records 

 in sixteen years of observations. 



White-winged Scoter. — A flock of 14 

 spent the summer near Orient. Eight 



heretofore has [been the largest number 

 summering. All appeared to be in normal 

 condition, sporting and flying at will. 

 Eight were males and seven females. They 

 kept to one body of water from May to 

 September. This species is a regular sum- 



A HORNET'S NEST IN WHICH WRENS MADE 

 THEIR HOME 



mer visitant in the bays, but is rarely seen 

 in the sound. 



Pigeon Hawk. — One May 11, a new 

 late record. 



Black Vulture. — An individual of this 

 rare visitor was observed on June 20. I 

 was on my knees among garden truck, 

 adjoining was an open field containing 

 fish fertilizer. It was here that the bird 

 alighted, thirty-eight feet from me, my 

 presence being unknown to the bird for 

 some time. 



Turkey Vulture. — One September 24. 



Red-headed Woodpecker. — -First 

 breeding record for the eastern end of the 

 north shore. Its status for twenty years 

 has been: Exceedingly rare and irregular 

 visitant August i to May 4. 



Purple Crackle. — One bird wintered 



