THE PRAIRIES 



333 



dominant bird of the reeds. This bird is possessed of a per- 

 sonality which would doubtless repay close study; but it is 

 one of the penalties of hurried collecting trips that but lit- 

 tle time can be devoted to one bird, if one would gain even a 

 superficial idea of the avifauna as a whole. It is your stay- 

 at-home, not your traveling naturalist who has opportunity 

 for prolonged, continuous and adequate observation. 



Long-billed Marsh Wren Entering Nest 



In spite of their abundance and vocif erousness, the Yel- 

 low-heads conducted their household affairs with more or 

 less secrecy. Their nests were tied to the reed stems at an 

 average height of four feet from the water. Soaking wet 

 grasses are used in building and, in drying, the well-woven 

 structure becomes firm and dense. I did not see the male 

 feed the young birds while they were at the nest, though he 

 seemed attentive enough after they had made their initial 

 flight. A female which I watched for some hours in active at- 



