128 Tire Witson Burrasrn——No: 75: 
sons who would not in any event use names accurately. We have 
neyer been quite able to understand why a paper which states at 
the outset that the names used in it conform strictly to the latest 
A. O. U. list, but in which its author chooses to use the English 
instead of the classical names, of that list, should be stamped at 
once as unscientific and unquotable. Why isn’t one set of names 
as accurate as the other? In the long run it has proved true that 
the vernacular names of the A. O. U. list have been more stable 
than the classical names. Scientifi¢e accuracy is, of course, abso- 
lutely necessary in any event, but are the arbitrary rules which 
have been laid down to measure the degree of accuracy wholly 
tenable? 
During the absence of the editor, from July 28 to September 12, 
the indulgence of correspondents is asked. Letters addressed to 
Oberlin or to Birmingham will receive attention, probably after 
some little delay in many cases. 
Field Notes 
A Tloust WreEN DrivEN rFrRoM Irs Nest BY SpPipeRS.—On the 
niorning of June 12, 1910, I was greeted in my garden by the song 
of a House Wren. At first I thought it must be a straggling bird 
that had dropped in to glean a breakfast among my trees, but on 
the following morning it was singing as usual, and close by a 
Downy Woodpecker’s stub that I had cut down and fastened in a 
tree, thinking thus to attract some bird to it as a nesting site. I 
soon discovered the female busily looking the trees over, and now 
and then inspecting the stub. 
The next day I saw Mrs. llouse Wren carrying sticks into the 
hole and T felt quite satisfied in having a pair of House Wrens for 
tenants, this being the first pair that had ever nested in my place. 
About a week after I missed the delightful song, so started to in- 
vestigate. Rapping on the stub no bird appeared, and I soon saw 
that the edges of the hole were alive with small spiders. I took the 
stub down and opened it, and found the nest swarming with these 
spiders. The birds in building the nest had used small twigs en- 
tirely and had thickly stuecoed them with the white egg saes of a 
species of spider, that had hatched before the Wren had deposited 
her own eggs, and instead of making a home for her young, she 
had unwittingly gathered together a fine family of spiders and pro- 
vided them with a well sheltered retreat. 
South Auburn, Rhode Island, Tlarry ‘8. HATHAWAY. 
