NOTES FKOM THE PRAIRIE 98 



other things, ficklcmindedness. "I beiieve 

 they build nests just for the fun of it, to pass 

 away the time, to have something to chatter 

 about and dispute over." (I myself have seen 

 a robin play at nest building late in October, 

 and have seen two young bluebirds ensconce 

 themselves in an old thrush's nest in the fall 

 and appear to amuse themselves like children, 

 while the wind made the branch sway to and 

 fro.) "Now my wrens' nest is so situated 

 that nothing can disturb them, and where I 

 can see it at any time. They have often made 

 a nest and left it. A year ago, during the 

 latter part of May, they built a nest, and in a 

 few days they kicked everything out of the box 

 and did the work all over again, repeating the 

 operation all July, then left the country with- 

 out accomplishing anything further. This 

 season they reared one brood, built another 

 nest, and, I think, laid one or more eggs, idled 

 around a few weeks, and then went away." 

 (This last was probably a "cock-nest," built by 

 the male as a roosting place.) " I have noticed, 

 too, that blue-jays build their apology for 

 nest, and abandon it for another place in the 

 same tree." Her jays and wrens do not live 

 together on the most amiable terms. " I had 

 much amusement while the jay was on the 

 nest, watching the actions of the wrens whose 

 nest was under the porch close by the oak. 

 Perched on a limb over the jay, the male wren 

 sat flirting his tail and scolding, evidently say- 

 ing all the insulting things he could think of ; 



a 



