188 



THE OOLOQIST 



ited by a pair of Winter Wrens usual- 

 ly results in finding four or five decoy 

 nests of this wren for he has a habit 

 of building such nests, the same as the 

 other species of Wren found here. The 

 real nest though is difficult to locate. 

 In this region the nests are usually 

 found on the under side of an old de- 

 cayed moss-covered log lying off the 

 ground in places, and under the roots 

 of partly fallen and upturned trees, 

 especially hemlocks. When under- 

 neath a log, the crevice or hole is ex- 

 cavated by the bird as the fresh pieces 

 of decayed lying about on the ground 

 shows. When under a partly uprooted 

 tree the nests are placed among the 

 roots and usually well under and hid- 

 den. I have also found nests in crev- 

 ices underneath large overhanging 

 rocks and among mossy roots on steep 

 banks along streams. 



The nests are quite bulky and are 

 built up against the log or dirt of the 

 upturned root, the entrance being a 

 small hole about one and one-fourth 

 inches in diameter. They are built of 

 moss with a few fine dry sprigs of 

 hemlock mixed in. The entrance is 

 always rimmed about with these fine 

 sprigs. Decoy nests are smaller and 

 not so bulky as the real nest, and are 

 never lined. All the good nests I have 

 found have been thickly lined with 

 feathers. 



The sets usually consist of five to a 

 clutch, often four, and in one case six. 

 The females are close setters and 

 when disturbed are rather slow to 

 leave. After the young leave the nest 

 the whole family roam about for some 

 time. 



I have read several times that these 

 Wrens will desert the nest if at all dis- 

 turbed or even if a finger is inserted 

 to feel inside but that is not the case 

 with me. At different times I have 

 felt inside the nests to determine 

 whether or not they were decoys, and 



in so doing have disturbed the ent- 

 rance more or less. Several times I 

 have found the nests all lined and 

 ready for eggs and on visiting the 

 place later have found the female at 

 home on her eggs. 



Last year while Mr. Harlow was vis- 

 iting me we were one day (May 31st), 

 exploring among some large rocks 

 that lay along the brow of a steep 

 mountain-side, when we discovered 

 a Winter Wren's nest in a crevice well 

 under a large overhanging rock. In- 

 serting a finger in the entrance we 

 found tlie nest to be empty, and as 

 the Winter Wren usually in this vicin- 

 ity, has its full set laid by May 15-20, 

 1 supposed the nest to be a decoy so 

 pulled it out for examination. It came 

 out in good shape and we were surpris- 

 ed to find it all lined with feathers and 

 apparently all ready for eggs. We put 

 the nest back and in a few days later 

 on being in that vicinity I paid the 

 nest a visit and was greatly surpris- 

 ed to find a wren peering out of the 

 entrance. Investigating I found her 

 to be sitting on four eggs. This in- 

 stance certainly did not look as if 

 they were easily disturbed and quick 

 to desert. 



R. B. Simpson. 

 Warren, Pa. 



Fate of the Swallows. 

 Mysterious fate seemed to direct all. 

 of my doings at the opening of the 

 new year, and the month of May found 

 me installed on a farm. I afterwards 

 attained the rank of blowhard and liar, 

 when I attempted to initiate certain 

 others in the mysteries of the general- 

 ly imknown world — known to us 

 cranks as Nature. Well along in the 

 spring a pair of Barn Swallows start- 

 ed a home on the site of a former one 

 in the horse stable; now the horse 

 stable contained a treasure to me, in 

 the shape of a most beautiful and rare 



