150 



Bird -Lore 



of man which prove so attractive to the 

 House Wren have no charms for this bird. 

 His wild nature demands the freedom of 

 the forests, and he shows no disposition to 

 adapt himself to new conditions." Other 

 authors say much the same thing, so I 

 was surprised and interested, this sum- 

 mer, to find a pair of Carolina Wrens 

 nesting in a situation which might be 

 more properly described as "in" rather 

 than "about the home of man;" and one, 

 too, which had been chosen in former 

 years by House Wrens as a building-site. 



I had seen a pair of the birds twice 

 during the spring, in the fields two or 

 three blocks from my sister's house, 

 which is in the outskirts of the city of 

 Asbury Park, not far from Deal Lake. 



Early in June, she reported them as 

 being about the house, and by the second 

 week they were seen to be prospecting 

 for a nest. The site chosen was on a beam 

 in the corner of my sister's little summer- 

 kitchen, next to the door. This is enclosed 

 by latticework, but has an open doorway 

 about five or six feet from the door of the 

 real kitchen. There is a constant passing 

 in and out, especially by the children. 

 House Wrens disputed over the occupancy 

 of this corner with the English Sparrows 

 for a number of years, until they were 

 given a little house of their own in the 

 yard. 



By June i6, they had begun to build. 

 On that date my sister and family went 

 away for a sh^rt visit. When she returned, 

 on June 23, the nest appeared to be com- 

 pleted. There was at least one egg in the 

 nest on June 26, for I got a ladder, and 

 felt in it, as it was too high and too dark 

 to see. 



The father bird was very assiduous in 

 his attentions to the mother, bringing her 

 food continually. In coming to the nest, 

 he first perched on a tree outside and sang 

 his joyous song. He never flew to the 

 nest direct, however, but always chose a 

 roundabout way, often hopping up from 

 branch to branch of the rose bush which 

 runs up the latticework, concealed by its 

 leaves, then darting through, and so up 

 to the nest. 



On July 10, my brother tried to take a 

 picture of the nest. I was very anxious 

 to get one, but did not think he would 

 have to disturb the birds as much as he 

 did, and that, too, without getting the 

 picture, as he frightened her off the nest 

 in the attempt. He reported that the 

 young birds had hatched out. The mother 

 was a very close sitter, and I had not seen 

 her, up to that time, although, of course, 

 my sister had. 



On July 20, I walked over to my sister's 

 and found that I was just half an hour too 

 late to see the young Wrens fly from the 

 nest. The mother was in evidence, 

 though, very much excited, and keeping 

 up her peculiar metallic warning cry all 

 the morning. I thought at first she was 

 scolding us, as we investigated the hedge, 

 trying to find her babies, but later de- 

 cided that she was warning them to stay 

 perfectly still; and so well did they obey 

 her, that it was quite a while before I 

 discovered one of them hidden in a 

 clump of plants by the porch next door. 

 It was almost on top of me while I was 

 looking for it. 



That was the only one I did see, too, 

 although we knew there were three. I 

 had counted them myself, one day, when 

 they were being fed, and my sister had 

 seen the three as they flew. 



That was the last seen of the family 

 this summer, but we are hoping to renew 

 the acquaintance next year. The songs 

 of the male — loud, clear and ringing— was 

 especially enjoyable in the early mornings. 

 — Miss Emma van Gilluwe, Ocean 

 Grove, N. J. 



Notes from Gardiner's Island 



It had always been my wish to visit 

 this island Eden, to study its wonderful 

 waterfowl life, and on March 24, 1910, in 

 company with Mr. S. V. LaDow, ft was 

 my good fortune to get there in an open 

 motor boat from Greenport. On Novem- 

 ber 26, Mr. LaDow and I again visited the 

 island, this time in company with Mr. W. 

 DeW. Miller, of the Museum of Natural 

 History at New York. On both occasions 



