BUZZAED'S BEST. 57 



bearing upon this subject. All who have been accus- 

 tomed to study birds in their native haunts have no- 

 ticed the many marked individual characteristics of each 

 species. One soon becomes not only familiar with wrens 

 as wrens and cat-birds as cat-birds, but he recognizes in- 

 dividuals among them, and the wren that nests in a box 

 near by, erected for his accommodation, very soon learns 

 the difference between the occupants of a house who 

 never disturb him or his, and a stranger of whom he will 

 at first be distrustful. I do not think I am putting this 

 matter too strongly. 



Remembering the individuality of a pair of wrens or 

 cat-birds, we can be pretty sure whether or not they are 

 the same pairs, from year to year, that come to our bird- 

 boxes or the thicket. 



Again, marked peculiarities in the construction of 

 nests, if repeated year after year, as is sometimes the 

 case, suggests, to say the least, that the builders of such 

 nests are the same individuals. 



Another consideration is the remarkably prompt ap- 

 pearance of migratory birds at their former nesting sites. 

 Not merely in the same neighborhood, but near the 

 same tree, bush, or hollow in the ground ; and a marked 

 disposition to remain there, and particularly to roost 

 there until nesting begins. This is especially true of 

 the Baltimore oriole, which I have often found, at dawn 

 of the day of his arrival, examining the remains of last 

 year's nest, and have seen him commence repairs that 

 same day when the structure permitted it. His mate is 

 usually but a few hours later, contrary statements not- 

 withstanding ; and the arrival of Madam Oriole was not 

 3* 



