10 BULLETIN OF THE 
roots of bushes and weeds, a few sticks, and a string about a foot long. The 
rest of the nest is made of fine rootlets, and with them is a little wool or 
cotton [cotton, see above] ; this is built up to form a rim, making a cup-shaped 
interior 2 inches in depth and diameter. The nest is at the end opposite the 
entrance, which is 114 inches square, and a few of the roots extend to this 
entrance. 
During the same spring, 1894, I heard birds which I took to be Bewick’s 
Wrens singing at one or two other places in the city, but did not see any of 
them. Whether my birds returned in 1895 I am unable to say, as I was 
away that year; but I am certain that they were not in the same neighborhood, 
at any rate, in the seasons of 1896 and 1897. 
With the exception of Mr. Trombley’s records from Petersburg, I am 
not aware that this wren has been reported in Michigan since 1894. I should 
urge upon the members of the Michigan Ornithological Club, therefore, that 
during the. present season espeial are be taken to establish definitely its 
distribution in the State. Wherever it occurs in the northernmost part of 
its range, it appears to be extremely local, and should be looked for with 
care. 
NESTING OF THE WOODCOCK. 
BY GERARD ALAN ABBOTT. . 
[With pictures from Photographs by Robert Hegner.] 
I spent six years looking for woodcock nests before success crowned 
my efforts, although my search was confined to the same territory that 
proved so productive in later seasons. 
April 28th, 1901, while beating through a willow copse, I found among 
the leaves on a little knoll the remains of four eggs of Philohela minor, from 
which the young had just emerged. This discovery, though not productive 
of immediate results, furnished an inside track, which in turn led directly 
to success. 
April 13th, 1902, with a companion, I revisited the willow copse, pre- 
viously mentioned, and found four fresh woodcock eggs within fifty yards 
of the last year’s nest. This I will refer to as pair number one. 
The morning of April 20th was ushered in by such a balmy spring 
atmosphere that had the weather been a little inclement our prospects for 
Woodcock would have been more encouraging. On damp or cloudy days 
these birds often sally forth from their hiding places voluntarily. Moreover 
we worked with a feeling of uncertainty because there was such a vast 
amount of undergrowth, oak, hazel, and haw stretching before us, that 
it was quite evident we could cover but a small portion of the area. About 
noon my companion was plodding along in a half-discouraged manner when 
he came upon a sitting bird with four beauties under her, and toward 
the termiation of our journey that day I secured another set of four from the 
last brush we encountered. It was dusk and the male was flying about 
preparatory to one of his aerial performances, consisting of an irregular 
ascent accompanied by a chirp and twitter, mingled with the whistling of 
wings, until a height of one hundred feet or more is attained, when the 
bird wheels about circling downward to alight precisely in the same spot 
from which he arose, which is apt to be within a few yards of the female. 

