22 Iowa Ornithologist. 



leading the young about the fences, through the arbor, the trees and shrubs, 

 inspecting the wood sheds and stables. The neighbor's yard is next subjected 

 to a similar scrutiny and soon the whole family leaves the premises seeking a 

 wider field of action, the work of the season being complete. 



The bird house is by no means the only place used as nesting site by this 

 bird, natural cavities in trees, old Woodpecker nests, mail boxes, cornices of 

 houses and sheds, I have even seen them enter the space between the plastering 

 and outer wall in a frame house through a knot hole. Anything possessing an 

 opening and containing a suitable cavity may serve this purpose. 



Some of the rarer instances that have come under my observation were 

 nests in cliffs and on the switch board of an arc lamp. In the last case the nest 

 was destroyed daily for a week or more by the trimmer of the lamps, but the 

 Wrens persisted and it was always found pretty well advanced in construction 

 the following day. At my request it was finally allowed to remain and it was 

 not so bad a place after all for numerous insects, killed the previous night by the 

 light, were within the globe each day and furnished the Wren family with 

 many a rare morsel in compensation for the disturbance which they endured 

 during the night, or maybe the sizzUng and rattling of the lamp were looked 

 upon as a lullaby. 



The next in abundance is the Short- billed Marsh Wren ( Cistothorus 

 stellaris)- Contrary to the habit of his relative, the House Wren, he shuns 

 the busy haunts of men and seeks the solitude of the marshy prairie. You 

 may find him in abundance in swampy prairie traversed by a little rivulet, 

 bordered by wild rice (ZizazT-ift aqiiatica L.). Here he makes his home 

 and contrary to his pugnacious brother he seeks the company of his fellow 

 Marsh Wren, breeding in colonies. It is indeed a pleasing sight to walk along 

 the edge of one of these rills as Old Sol floods the scene with his morning light 

 and kisses the sparkling drops from every reed now bent with dew. The little 

 songster's lisping song, a plain ditty, will greet you on every hand ; and 

 bunched up on some tall reed you will see the performer with his cocked up tail 

 and distended throat sending forth his morning prayer. He's not shy but will 

 allow you to approach quite close looking you over and as if to say, you will not 

 harm me, he continues his simple song. 



The nest attached to some reeds near the ground consists of a woven mass 

 of marsh grass, — a sub-spherical ball with an opening at the side — the interior 

 being lined with finer material. I have often wondered how many nests one 

 pair builds, for nests are very common, but eggs, well that is another question. 

 Many times will the oologist pass his finger into a nest, only to find it empty 

 and it required some time ere I perceived that the new nest which seemed 

 ready for the compliment of eggs was nothing more than an effort of the male 

 to keep himself busy while his mate was covering her jewels in an unattractive 

 old looking nest. 



The Long-billed Marsh Wren {Sistothorus palustris) the cousin and 

 neighbor of the last named specie is found in the same locality but sparingly 

 only, and I have as yet to find a nest. In habit he resembles his lesser friend, 

 possessing, however, a more secretive nature. Often have I chased one of these 



