80 HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS. 



pasture at Charlevoix, I was attracted by the loud and 

 continued singing of one of these birds, and going to 

 the place, I saw him on a crumbling stump, pouring 

 out song after song, and not stopping until I was 

 almost within reach of him ; then he moved to another 

 stump near b}^ — all the time continuing his song. An 

 examination of the first stump revealed a half finished 

 nest in an exposed ca^dty, very unhke one made for use. 

 Following him up to his second perch I found a similar 

 structure ; not to be thrown off the track, I continued 

 the search, and in a decayed limb of a fallen tree in an 

 excavated cavity, I found the real nest, on which was 

 sitting the female. The little pretender put off his 

 careless demeanor and changed his song to such a burst 

 of rage and distress that I hurried aAvay and left him 

 to try his stratagem on the next visitor. 



A pair of wrens, for several consecutive years, built 

 in a large auger hole in a gate post quite near the house. 

 The birds never appeared disturbed by the people and 

 teams that passed by the nest, sometimes hourly and 

 with much noise. The presence of the house cat alone 

 gave annoyance to the fearless little couple, and when 

 this cat caught one of the little ones which had left the 

 nest a little prematurely, the anger and bereaved 

 affection manifested by these courageous little creatures 

 was marvelous to behold. They scolded, lamented, and 

 condoled in their bird fashion, and even gave the cat 

 battle. 



The house wren is not only a most interesting httle 

 bird and delightful singer, but he is very useful withal, 



