File:American birds, studied and photographed from life (1907) (14748100224).jpg

Identifier: americanbirdsstu00finl (find matches)
Title: American birds, studied and photographed from life
Year: 1907 (1900s)
Authors: Finley, William L. (William Lovell), 1876-1953
Subjects: Birds
Publisher: New York, C. Scribner's sons
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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rled away to a largeupturned root covered with vines. Here she hopped aboutin the tangle of brier and fern, apparently forgetful ofmy presence; but those sharp brown eyes, behind whichare generations of care and cunning gained in contact withnature, are never heedless. Her action would have de-ceived any other creature, but I knew her too well; at thelikeliest moment, and in an eyes twinkling, she suddenlypopped up into the dead body of an alder tree and disap-peared into a tiny round hole. Wrens have traditions, and, like some people, are per-haps slightly superstitious. I was not sure that a Vigorswren thought there had to be a bit of snake-skin in herhome, but I do not remember ever examining the nest ofher cousin, the Parkman wren, without finding it. May-be it is for protection, as it is said that a snake will notventure where a scrap of its own skin is found. Years andyears ago the first wrens must have fought for themselvesamong tribes of reptiles, and now the birds never think
Text Appearing After Image:
Rearing a Wren Family 93 of starting housekeeping without searching up the hill-sides, through the meadows, or back In the deep woodsuntil the cast-off scaly coat of some snake Is found andborne home In triumph as a safeguard. Almost every feathered creature has some interestingtrait of protection. I have always found that the red-breasted nuthatch, after he has dug out his wooden homeIn some dead stump, never falls to collect a good supplyof soft pitch to plaster about the round doorway of hislog-house. Ever since I discovered the wren building Its homein the alder stub my Interest had grown, and I was anx-ious to win Its friendship, principally because most birdshad finished nesting for the season. Why had the nestnot been placed nearer the ground Instead of at a dis-tance of twelve feet, and why was such a dark, narrowhome chosen that I could hardly get a glimpse of the In-terior ? Experience had taught me not to try to win the affec-tions of a bird too rapidly, especially at a sea

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