80 HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS. 
pasture at Charlevoix, I was attracted by the loud and 
continued singing of one of these birds, and going to 
the place, I saw him on a crumbling stump, pouring 
out song after song, and not stopping until I was 
almost within reach of him; then he moved to another 
stump near by—all the time continuing his song. An 
examination of the first stump revealed a half finished 
nest in an exposed cavity, very unlike one made for use. 
Following him up to his second perch I found a similar 
structure; not to be thrown off the track, I continued 
the search, and in a decayed limb of a fallen tree in an 
excavated cavity, I found the real nest, on which was 
sitting the female. The little pretender put off his 
careless demeanor and changed his song to such a burst 
of rage and distress that I hurried away and left him 
to try his stratagem on the next visitor. 
A pair of wrens, for several consecutive years, built 
in a large auger hole in a gate post quite near the house. 
The birds never appeared disturbed by the people and 
teams that passed by the nest, sometimes hourly and 
with much noise. The presence of the house cat alone 
gave annoyance to the fearless little couple, and when 
this cat caught one of the little ones which had left the 
nest a little prematurely, the anger and bereaved 
affection manifested by these courageous little creatures 
was marvelous to behold. They scolded, lamented, and 
condoled in their bird fashion, and even gave the cat 
battle. 
The house wren is not only a most interesting little 
bird and delightful singer, but he is very useful withal, 
