Notes from Field and Study 



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LION'S CAGE IN THE NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL PARK AT WASHINGTON IN WHICH 

 A PAIR OF FLICKERS AND A PAIR OF HOUSE WRENS NESTED 



security by nesting within the outdoor 

 enclosure of an African lioness. The 

 lion's cage is 20 by 30 feet and 10 feet 

 high, joins the building on one side, and is 

 otherwise completely enclosed by steel 

 bars 3^ inches apart at the most open 

 places. In holes in a stump of an old 

 tree within this enclosure a pair of Flickers 

 and a pair of House Wrens nested and 

 reared their broods in safety. The 

 Flicker hole is 6>2 feet above the ground, 

 and the Wren's nest about 6 inches 

 higher, on another branch. 



Visitors to the Park were quick to find 

 interest in this novel sight, and crowds 

 enjoyed watching the Flickers dart be- 

 tween the bars of the cage to feed their 

 eager young, while the Wrens fussed, 

 scolded, and sang from their own par- 

 ticular branch of the snag. The lioness, 

 an unusually active animal, offered no 

 objection to the intruders. Surely a place 

 safer from nest-hunting boys or predatory 

 animals could hardly be found than that 

 selected by these two pairs of birds, and 

 this lion's cage has every claim to the 

 title of a model bird sanctuary. — N. 

 HoLLiSTER, National Zoological Park, 

 Washington, D. C. 



A Winter House Wren 



Not far from my home in Evanston 

 lives a florist who has a large green- 

 house. One day last fall he left the 

 front door open all day. Toward evening 

 he closed it and soon heard a House 

 Wren's song inside. The bird evidently 

 flew in through the open door. It 

 seemed very content, and so was allowed 

 to remain. In the zero weather of January 

 it was delightful to go in and hear the 

 cheerful song of the Wren. It also helped 

 the florist, in a large measure, to keep the 

 insects in check. — Conroy Evans, Evans- 

 ton, III. 



Three Winter Mockingbirds 



A mockingbird was seen here the first 

 week in January. It was feeding on honey- 

 suckle and pokeberries and apples hang- 

 ing on the tree, and was quite shy. — 

 Elizabeth P. Styer, Concordville, Pa. 



It seems worthy of note that among our 

 bird-guests there is a Mockingbird. For 

 several years we have heard of a single 

 male being at Sandy Hook, and now he 

 seems to have chosen this side of the 



