THE CACTUS WREN 75 



tion he was seized by the foot with a bill-grip 

 as strong as a vise. The captive bird screamed 

 and shrieked, fluttered and pulled, trying to 

 extricate himself from the grip of the wren, who 

 seemed determined never to let go. " You will 

 poke your head into places you have no busi- 

 ness to, will you?" I could fancy the wren say- 

 ing. " I will give you a lesson that will last you 

 awhile/' 



The shrike did finally get away, no doubt 

 glad to have escaped without a toe missing. 

 I feel certain that his pugnacious and curious 

 nature did not lead him to visit those quarters 

 again soon. 



The nest of the cactus wren seems unusually 

 well protected from the ravages of enemies 

 common to birds, yet do not think for a mo- 

 ment that these birds are wholly immune from 

 attack. Snakes, those constant terrors of the 

 bird world, even risk climbing up through the 

 ramified and prickly branches of the cholla to 

 get the eggs and young. Since several species of 

 smaller rodents, such as wild mice, wood rats, 

 and antelope chipmunks are also able to climb 

 with comparative ease into the cactuses, it is 



