8o JVESTS AND EGGS OF BIRDS. 



finished, the male began to build in another bird-box close by. 

 Dr. Cooper continues : 



The female rarely assisted in this work, though I occasionally saw 

 both there, and in due time the second nest was finished. Soon after 

 the young in the first nest were hatched, and although needing much 

 attention, the old birds still frequented the new nest, and I began to 

 suspect that one of them was sitting on eggs there. This suspicion 

 was soon verified by hearing the young, and seeing them fed. In this 

 case each parent must have been sitting at the same time on a nest, 

 perhaps taking turns, during the week that elapsed before the first 

 hatching. The day after the first brood of six left its house, they reap- 

 peared at evening under the lead of the female, and all roosted there, 

 the male meanwhile continuing to feed the other brood, and singing at 

 almost every visit to them, from which circumstance I distinguished 

 him. The next day, however, he seems to have taken charge of the 

 fledged family and led them away to the groves, out of the reach of town 

 cats, as after that the songless female alone attended to the remaining 

 brood. 



This is certainly very interesting and strange ; and it is 

 worth while to inquire whether true also of the marsh wrens 

 and some other species in which the male is known to build a 

 sham nest. 



50. THE AMERICAN WINTER WREN- 

 ANORTHURA TROGLODYTES var. HYEMALIS (Z.) Coues. 



Our winter wren is a variety of the common wren of Europe. 

 It is not uncommon over nearly the "juhole of North America^ 

 but eludes notice. In the "gloomy and tangled" forests of 

 Pennsylvania, near Mauch Chunk. Audubon caught a glimpse 

 of a winter wren, and tells in his graphic style how excitedlv 

 he watched it. 



After much exertion and considerable fatigue, I at last saw it alight 

 on the side of a large tree^ close to the roots, and heard it warble a few 

 notes, which I thought exceeded any it had previously uttered. Sud- 

 denly another wren appeared by its side, but darted oflf in a moment, 

 and the bird itself, which I had followed, disappeared. I soon reached 



