146 THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION. 
damaged vocal apparatus, probably resultant from some accidental 
physical injury. Many of the well-remembered Bob-o-link quavers 
were poured forth,.but the medley in toto was unmusical, and an 
unharmonious jangle. To our surprise the same bird (or what we 
logically believed to be the same) returned to the same field the 
year following, and showed a decided “penchant” for its first noted ~ 
‘song perch, on the upper branch of the identical tree where its 
“bizarre” vocal effusions first rivetted our attention, and was 
repeated still another year. 
A pair of Wrens nested and reared Wren families eight or ten 
summers in succession ona small shelf put up for bird conveniences 
under the projecting roof over the gable peak of an outbuilding. 
The good fortune of the birds came to an end eventually through 
the marauding propensities of a cat, who accomplished what had 
been supposed impossible—inserting a fore paw into the auger hole 
entrance to the Wren habitation, and so tearing out a large part of 
the nest material. Whether the ornithic occupants of the nidus 
escaped or not we were unable to determine. Anyhow, the site as 
a bird breeding convenience was never afterwards utilized. Although 
English Sparrows tried to enlarge the auger hole entrance by perse- 
_veringly nibbling the same with their strong pincer-like beaks, they 
ultimately gave up the attempt in seeming despair. 
The Swifts evince the same propensity to occupy year after year 
the same inaccessible point on the boarding on the gable inside of a 
barn as long as unmolested, but if misfortune overtakes the enter- 
prise a new locality is selected and the unlucky lodgement studiously 
given the go by, and there seems an evident power of communicat- 
ing a dislike and abhorrence of a scene of bird tragedy to all of their 
kith and kin to contemporaries, if not to succeeding generations. 
Some purple Finches occupied for quite a number of years as 
an annual nest site some clustered branches of a tall, solitary spruce 
tree, growing near to the door of our dwelling. At length, in an 
evil hour, perhaps, a pair of Grackles were allowed to nest and breed 
lower down on the same tree, and these aggressive interlopers soon 
piratically raided the nest home of the red Finches, who paid a 
final good bye to the home of their childhood. 
One of the writer’s friends is at considerable trouble to evict 
breeding-disposed Grackles from the shelter of his home grove of 
ae. si rs 
