110 



THE OOLOGIST. 



Some of the bird.s wt-ie lui'ivl}' stun- 

 ned and when caught and put in cages, 

 soon n'vived — othcfs were killed out- 

 right. 



The names of the birds as far as 

 known were Olive-backed, Russet- 

 backed and Golden-crowned Thrushes, 

 ("at-birds, Bobolinks; eight varieties of 

 Warblers, Golden Plovers, Rose- 

 breasted Grosbeaks, Scarlet Tanagers, 

 Yellow-crowned Sparrows, Grinnell's 

 Water Thrush, Yellow-headed and 

 Red -winged Blackbirds, He})atic Tana- 

 gers and American Redstarts. 



The cause of this shower of birds was 

 that they were probablj' migrating 

 during the night, Avhen the storm 

 struck them and beat them to the 

 eartli. Those that died were killed by 

 coming in contact with the electric 

 light and telegraph wiaes 



Thert' was a similar shower of Ijirds 

 about six years ago. 



Bekx H. Bailey, 

 Cedar Rapids, la. 



Belligerent Neighbors. 



During the year of 1882, it was my 

 good fortune to spend the summer in 

 tiie countr}-, with vei-y little to do, but 

 amuse myself. Consequently I saw a 

 great deal of bird life, for I literally 

 livetl out of doois, making pets of all 

 tlie feathered families on the farm. 



Among my most intimate friends 

 were a pair of Chijiping Sparrows and 

 a pair of House Wrens, who came as 

 regularly as clock-work for their morn- 

 ing allowance of crumbs. The Wrens 

 seemed to be in great distress. Tliey 

 could tind no place that aj)peared to 

 suit their fancy for a home. To relieve 

 tliem, I took a gourd, and culting a 

 small li(;]e in (me side, emptied the 

 seeds out and placed it in the fork of a 

 large cedar tree that stood but a few 

 feet frojn a veranda, where I spent a 

 good part oi my time. I thought I 

 would thus have a good opp(»rtunity to 

 watch them in their domestic cares. 



They took immediate possession, but 

 troul)le was in store for all m^- pets. 

 The Sparrows had evidently chosen a 

 liml) on which to place their nest, 

 about two feet and a half from where I 

 had put the gourd, and Ijoth pairs 

 began building on the same day. They 

 were no longer friends, but enemies of 

 the bitterest kind. Fi'om that hour on 

 there was a continual warfare — not a 

 war of wa)rds by any mean.*?, but long 

 and hard-fougth battles; the feathers 

 often Hying in great numbers. After 

 a battle the Wrens would perch detiant- 

 I3' on their domicile, and the Sparrows 

 as resolutely on their chosem limb, 

 neither ])air Avilling to yield a single 

 inch. Each pair finished their home 

 and when the eggs were deposited the 

 females began the work of incubation 

 while their partners took the position 

 of guards. Many and hard weie the 

 battles fought, but each little warrior 

 stood resolutely at his post Avith a 

 fidelity that is well Avorth cojjying. 



When the joung birds were hatched 

 they kept up their Avar for a few daj's, 

 and then something stranger still took 

 place; they very suddenly became the 

 best of friends. The Wrens Avould feed 

 the Si»arrows and the Sjjarrows would 

 then return the favor. I never heard 

 an angry word between them from that 

 time on, each assisting in the task of 

 gathering food until both families were 

 ready to move out. The SparroAvs left 

 as soon as the young could ll}', and 

 that Avas tlie last I ever saw of tlwni. 

 The Wrens stayed, however, and were 

 soon preparing to rear another brood, 

 I but trouljle of a more serious nature 

 I was in store for tlieiu tliis time. 1 

 noticed some very suspicious lookiug 

 scratches on the tree, as though some 

 I prowling old cat had been trying to get 

 ' my little friends. Not knowing AvJiat 

 to do, I consequently did nothiug, but 

 would go every morning as soou as I 

 was up to see if my little pets Avere 

 safe. 



