110 



THE OOLOGIST. 



Some of the birds were merely stun- 

 ned and when eaught and put in eages, 

 soon revlA^ed — others were killed ont- 

 right. 



The names of the birds as far as 

 known were Olive-baeked, Russet- 

 liacked and Golden-crowned Thrushes, 

 Cat-birds, Bobolinks; eight varieties of 

 AVarblers, Golden Plovers, Rose- 

 lireasted Grosbeaks, Scarlet Tanagers, 

 Yellow-crowned Sparrows, Grinnell's 

 Water Thrush, Yellow-headed and 

 Red-winged Blackbirds, Hepatic Tana- 

 gers and American Redstarts. 



The cause of this shower of birds was 

 that they were probably migrating 

 during the night, when the storm 

 struck them and beat them to the 

 earth. Those that died were killed by 

 coming in contact with the electric 

 light and telegraph wiaes 



There was a similar shower of birds 

 about six j'ears ago. 



Beht H. Bailey, 

 Cedar Rapids, la. 



Belligerent Neighbors. 



During the year of 1882, it was my 

 good fortune to spend the summer in 

 the country, with very little to do, but 

 amuse myself. Consequently I saw a 

 great deal of bird life, for I literally 

 lived out of doors, making pets of all 

 the feathered families on the farm. 



Among my most intimate friends 

 were a pair of Chipping Sparrows and 

 a pair of House Wrens, who came as 

 regularly as clock-work for their morn- 

 ing allowance of crumbs. The Wrens 

 seemed t(j be in great distress. Tliey 

 could lind no place that appeared to 

 suit their fancy for a home. To relieve 

 them, I took a gourd, and cutting a 

 small hole in one side, emptied the 

 seeds out and placed it in the fork of a 

 large cedar tree that stood but a few 

 feet from a veranda, where I spent a 

 good part of my time. I thought I 

 would thus have a good opportunity to 

 watch them in their domestic cares. 



They took immediate possession, but 

 trouble was in store for all my pets. 

 The Sparrows had evidently chosen a 

 limb on which to place their nest, 

 about two feet and a half from where I 

 had put the gourd, and both i)airs 

 began building on the same day. They 

 were no longer friends, but enemies of 

 the bitterest kind. From that hour on 

 there was a continual warfare — not a 

 war of words by any means, but long 

 and hard-fougth battles; the feathers 

 often flying in great numbers. After 

 a battle the Wrens would perch defiant- 

 ly on their domicile, and the SpaVrows 

 as resolutely on their chosen limlj, 

 neither pair willing to yield a single 

 inch. Each pair finished their home 

 and when the eggs were deposited the 

 females began the work of incubation 

 while their partners took the position 

 of guai'ds. Many and hai'd were the 

 battles fought, but each little Avarrior 

 stood resolutely at his post with a 

 tidelity that is well worth copying. 



When the young birds were hatched 

 they kept up their war for a few days, 

 and then something stranger still took 

 place; they A'ery suddenly became the 

 best of friends. The Wrens woiild feed 

 the Sparrows and the S])arrows would 

 then return the favor. I never heard 

 an angry winxl between them from that 

 time on, each assisting in the task of 

 gathering food until both families were 

 ready to move out. The Sparrows left 

 as soon as the young could fly, and 

 that .was the last I ever saAv of them. 

 The Wrens staj'ed, "liowever, and were 

 soon preparing to rear anotJier brootl, 

 but trouble of a more serious nature 

 was in store for them this time. I 

 noticed some very suspicious lookiug 

 scratches on the tree, as though some 

 prowliug old cat had been trying to get 

 my little friends. Not knowing what 

 to do, I consequently did nothing, but 

 would go every morning as soon as I 

 was up to see if mj' little pets were 

 safe. 



