1120 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST. 



drift piles or the fringing vegetation of our streams. They are com- 

 mon summer residents, and breed at Richmond, Connersville, Indian- 

 apolis, Spearsville, Greeneastle, Sullivan, Terre Haute, Wheatland and 

 Vincennes. North of that line, except in the extreme northwestern 

 part of the State, they breed commonly, but south of it rarely nest. 

 Mrs. Hine informs me they first appeared in Dekalb County in 1883,. 

 and are now common. In some parts of the State it is local in 

 distribution. I know of two instances where they nested at Brook- 

 ville, and Prof. Evermann informs me they are rare summer residents 

 at Bloomington. 



Mr. Robert Ridgway informs me that this is the species occurring 

 in the vicinity of Wheatland and Vincennes, where Bewick's Wren 

 is also found commonly, but at Mt. Carmel, 111., this species does not 

 occur, and its place is taken by Bewick's Wren. In general they may 

 be said to breed north of the range of the latter species. They are 

 said to winter north to southern Illinois, and may possibly be found 

 at that season along our southern border. They migrate a little later 

 than the last mentioned species. The earliest date at hand is from 

 Brookville, March 11, 1887; the latest at that station, April 28, 1883. 

 At Spearsville, they appeared March 14, 1897, March 29, 1895; Vigo 

 County, April 2, 1896, April 6, 1897; Sedan, April 13, 1894, May 4, 

 1895; Laporte, March 31, 1896, April 4, 1894; Chicago, 111., April 27, 

 1896; Petersburg, Mich., April 24, 1897, May 5, 1888. They rear 

 two broods in a season. In selection of nesting sites and in many of 

 their habits they are similar to the last mentioned species. These 

 are much more persistent birds. At times it seems that no amount 

 of discouragement will turn them from their plans. Mr. A. H. Ken- 

 drick informs me of one which persistently attempted to build its 

 nest in a pump spout at Edwards. He also tells me of another one 

 that built her nest in the air shaft of a coal mine, but the eggs did 

 not hatch. The reason he suggests is that they were chilled by the 

 cold air blasts. Messrs. L. A. and C. D. Test found them building 

 April 29, 1892. Mr. J. 0. Snyder reported one breeding April 20 ? 

 1886, at Waterloo. On the other hand, I found them breeding at 

 Brookville, July 3, 1888. The song begins soon after arrival, and 

 Mr. Bicknell says it is sometimes continued until August. It is dif- 

 ferent from that of the other Wrens, yet the listener is impressed when 

 he first hears that no bird other than a Wren could sing such a song. 

 It is very sprightly, consisting of a few loud notes, followed by an 

 exceedingly melodious trill. The decision of those who have studied 

 its foods is that the House Wren is entirely beneficial. Mr. Sylvester 

 D. Judd says of 52 specimens examined, 92 per cent, of their food 



