NESTING-HOUSES 45 



Red-headed Woodpecker. — Mr. F. C. Pellett 

 of Iowa reports that a pair of red-headed wood- 

 peckers occupied a house which he had set up. 

 The box was made of an old rabbit-trap and 

 placed about fifteen feet high in the edge of a 

 grove. This was first occupied by a pair of blue- 

 birds, but these were driven out by a pair of red- 

 heads after they had enlarged the hole so they 

 could enter. They remained about the house all 

 summer ; but Mr. Pellett saw no indications of 

 young birds, and not wishing to disturb the 

 birds, he did not attempt to look into the box. 



House Wren. — The boxes should be about 

 seven by five by five inches, placed with the long 

 axis horizontal. This position is preferable on 

 account of the habit the birds have of filling the 

 fore part of the house full to the hole with sticks, 

 and leaving a hollow in the rear for the eggs and 

 young. These little houses may be made quite 

 ornamental by putting on a roof and staining the 

 whole house green or brown. The entrance hole 

 should be one inch in diameter, placed in the 

 upper half. The size of the hole is important, as 

 this size keeps out the Enghsh sparrow. The 

 wrens like to nest very near the ground — from 

 six to eight feet. Put out by the middle of April 

 or earlier. 



