30 Bulletin 8 



nest in the box on the southwest corner. We are not sure as to how 

 many young birds there were in tliis nest, but there were at least four, 

 and they left the nest May 27th, forty-four days from the time the old 

 birds began building the nest. 



About a week later the same pair (we are reasonably sure that it 

 was the same pair) began a nest in the other box, on the northwest 

 corner of the house. There were five young birds in this nest, and 

 they left the nest July 17th. Allowing seven days from May 27th, 

 the time that the young birds left the first nest, would make June 3rd 

 the date of beginning the second nest, and the young birds left this 

 nest just forty-four days from June 3rd. Can any club member verify 

 this time record? I wonder if any member has ever noticed a house 

 wren around a bluebirds' nest after the young birds had gone. Two or 

 three days after the young birds left there was one visited both of 

 these nests, seemed to be putting things in order, taking out stray 

 bits of straw and feathers. We thought perhaps they were going to 

 use the nest themselves, but after several visits they went away and 

 we saw no more of them. 



HENSLOW'S SPARROW IN VERMONT 



George L. Kikk. Rutland 



Until 1912 little was known, as far as the writer can learn, about 

 the occurrence of Henslow's sparrow in Vermont. My acquaintance 

 began on May 18 of that year when, while botanizing with D. Lewis 

 Button of Brandon, near his home, we heard a strange sparrow-like 

 song from different parts of two or three adjoining wet fields. The 

 weather was mild and at this time the bird migration was at its 

 height. With the aid of a field glass we determined that the strongly 

 accented two-syllabled song came from the Henslow sparrow and we 

 determined to secure a specimen. The birds, when approached, were 

 averse to flying, and because of their skulking habit Mr. Button suc- 

 ceeded in catching one alive with his hands. The specimen was pre- 

 sented to Br. G. H. Perkins for the State collection at Montpelier. The 

 sparrows in this instance were apparently not paired, and Mr. Button 

 tells me that he did not hear the characteristic song again in the vicin- 

 ity, so that the birds probably did not nest where we found them. 



