. The oist . —usually about the 20th of that this time they are very busy littlefellows, carrying building consist of small twigs, hay, drygrass, rootlets and sometimes mossand leaves; well lined with poultryfeathers and horse hair. The siteschosen vary greatly and they rangefrom an old pair of trousers or a hatto a tin can. To my knowledge thecommonest places for nests are smallout houses: corn cribs, barns, sheds,etc. In these they select some convenient nook and therein construct thenest. These may be either large andbulky or frail, as best suits the crev-ice wherein
. The oist . —usually about the 20th of that this time they are very busy littlefellows, carrying building consist of small twigs, hay, drygrass, rootlets and sometimes mossand leaves; well lined with poultryfeathers and horse hair. The siteschosen vary greatly and they rangefrom an old pair of trousers or a hatto a tin can. To my knowledge thecommonest places for nests are smallout houses: corn cribs, barns, sheds,etc. In these they select some convenient nook and therein construct thenest. These may be either large andbulky or frail, as best suits the crev-ice wherein they build. Many nestsare rather neat while the interior isalways smoothly lined witli soft ma-terial. From five to eight eggs are deposit-ed: the time usually being the firstweek in May. These are w-hite, muchspeckled with reddish brown; somebeing spotted. I have examined a considerablenumber of nests and none containedmore than eight eggs; seven seemedto be the common number to each set 800 THE OOlvOGTST. Nest and Eggs of Florida Meadow Lark —Photo bv O. E. Baynard. THE OOLOGIST 301 The female sits closely on these andseldom leaves the nest except tor foodand water. The male bird brings herconsiderable food. In about ten daysthe eggs hatch and you may be surethe parents are very busy; for theygather many insects with which tofeed the young. The young growrapidly and are soon strong enoughto follow the mother about in searchof food. It is a pleasing sight to watcha family of these wrens as they fol-low their mother. They, like otherbabies, quarrel at times and it is thenthat we hear their cross little scoldingnotes; and also the equally cross noteof their mother who seems to be rep-rimanding them. We must, though,consider them as gentle little birdsand encourage them to live near usfor they are exceedingly beneficialcreatures. S. S. , Pa. The Increase and Decrease of .John D. Kuser, Bernardsville, X. J. One of the great questions in thebird world
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookidoist29al, booksubjectbirds
