THE RING-BILLED DUCK. 
(Aythya collaris.) 
‘Tos duck has many popular 
synonyms, among others ring- 
necked, ring-billed  shuffler, 
ring-necked scaup duck, or 
blue-bill fall duck (Minnesota), black 
jack (Illinois), moon-bill (South Caro- 
lina). Itis found throughout the whole 
of North America, south to Guatemala 
and the West Indies; breeding from 
Iowa, southern Wisconsin, Minnesota 
and Maine northward. It is accidental 
in Europe. 
The chief variation in the plumage 
of this species consists in the distinct- 
ness of the chestnut collar in the male, 
which is usually well defined, particu- 
larly infront. There is very littlein its 
habits to distinguish it from the other 
“black-heads.” Like them, it usually 
associates in small flocks. Its flesh is 
excellent, being fat, tender and juicy. 
A STRANGE 
ADDIE L. 
RENS are famous for choosing 
W queer places for nesting-sites. 
They will nest in almost any 
situation about the house or 
yard that can be entered through any 
semblance of a hole. I place all kinds 
of odd receptacles about the yard for 
them every spring, which they seldom 
fail to occupy. These friendly and 
interesting little creatures appreciate 
such thoughtfulness, and repay it by 
fairly bubbling over with grateful 
song. 
But the pair that afforded me the 
most amusement pre-empted a home- 
stead that was not intended for them. 
Our acquaintance began when pre- 
paring to remove the cook stove to 
the summer kitchen in May. In win- 
ter this kitchen is used as a sort of 
lumber room, and when clearing it of 
various odd and ends it was found that 
a pair of wrens had taken possession 
of an overshoe and laid the foundation 
ofahome. The pair of overshoes had 
been tied together and hung ona nail 
in the wall, about five feet from the 
floor. 
Needless to say they were left un- 
disturbed, though not without many 
doubts of the feasibility of the enter- 
prise, on account of the proximity of 
BIRD. HOUSE. 
BOOKER. 
the stove. The shoes were the ordi- 
nary kind, fleece-lined rubber, and 
were only a few feet from where the 
stove would be set. These conditions 
warranted the expectation of disastrous 
results from extreme heat—at least so 
it seemed to me, but my little neigh- 
bors thought otherwise, and nest- 
building progressed rapidly. Being 
remarkably industrious midgets, the 
nest of sticks was soon finished and 
lined with soft feathers from the poul- 
try yard. 
Wrens are noted for their industry; 
unless in a very restricted situation 
the outside dimensions of the nest are 
enormous when compared with the in- 
terior, or cavity. And the twigs that 
compose the structure are out of all 
proportion to the size of the architects. 
I have seen twigs a foot long and half 
the size of a lead pencil, used in the 
construction of theirnests. That birds 
so diminutive could carry such bur- 
dens in their tiny bills is indeed won- 
derful. It is said that a single pair 
have been known to fill a barrel, but 
no nest quite so mammoth as this has ° 
ever come under my observation. 
To return to the home in the shoes. 
After the completion of the nest five 
wee eggs were deposited therein, and 
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