18 THE AUDUBON BULLETIN 



Museum in 1908 and from the observations of Prof. Spicer, 

 Everret Shaw and others of our city since, it is probable that 

 our parks are visited by two hundred species. I found one 

 rarity in my own door yard, the Florida Meadow Lark. It 

 came here about thirty years ago, returning every spring, and 

 sang from a tall tree top again yesterday. It is so dark in 

 color that it is nearly black. In music perhaps this bird is an 

 imitator. A rival of the Thrasher it has tones of its own. In 

 the morning or evening concert we hear notes of the Wren, 

 the Red Wing and our own Meadow Lark, with many others I 

 do not recognize. The western Meadow Lark pours out a 

 joyous, exultant greeting, but the Fioridian is more modest, 

 more refined, a violinist, not a horn blower. Come and hear 

 him. James H. Ferriss 



A Silly Wren, A True Story 



A few years ago I spent the spring with a brother who lived 

 on a farm. At that time I was doing transcribing for one of the 

 large libraries for the Blind. I had put up two shelves on which 

 to keep my books, writing materials and other things. 



One morning I went to take down my writing case, and to 

 my surprise, I found a bird's nest lying on top of it. I tossed it 

 out of the window. Later on that morning I told my sister-in- 

 law of it. She laughed and said it must be the work of a Wren 

 she had seen in my room. 



The next day I received a letter from a friend residing in a 

 nearby town informing me that several families had mattress- 

 making (my work) which they wished done at once. 



I was away from home a week. The morning following my 

 return, when I went to put on a pair of pants which I had hung 

 under the shelves, I felt some dry leaves and twigs lying in the 

 seat. I shook them up well. While I was doing so I felt two sharp 

 blows on the side of my head. A moment later the family rushed 

 into my room. They had heard a cry and thought it was one of 

 the children. On the floor lay a torn bird's nest, while on a 

 branch of a peach tree which grew near the open window was 

 perched a Wren. She had built her nest in my pants during my 

 absence. After breakfast I re-arranged my books being careful to 

 leave a dark recess behind a small box in which I kept a few 

 things which I could easily take out without making any noise. 



A few days later I was told that the Wren was building 

 another nest in my room. But this time she had selected a more 

 suitable place. It was not disturbed and she hatched and raised 

 her offspring in peace. 



This contribution from Mr. W. F. Brown, of New Orleans, is 

 sent in by Mrs. E. G. Trowbridge of Winnetka. This experience 

 of Mr. Brown's is the more interesting because he has neither 

 sight nor hearing, and therefore had to borrow the ears and 

 eyes of others to supplement his sense of touch. 



