Alpena argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1893-1909, 1893-12-13

common canary, the male trife
larger than the female, and no marked
difference in color, which Is a dusty
brown. BY reason of remodeling my
dwelling house my little wren cottage
had been taken down late last autumn,
and was late in finding place for II
this season. II being past the middle OF
juno before IL was erected on the sun
ny southeast corner of the house. The
martins already had large families and
II was almost midsummer, yet I had
faith that my little wrens would yet
occupy the cottage even II they were
too late to be fashionable. So, a few
mornings after. | awolSe to hear the
joyous song of my little friend, and a
few minutes afterward saw him stand
ing on the roof the cottage, and Jenny
standing on the door step looking the
picture Of perfect happiness. That day
they began moving in, the furniture
consisting principally of a mattress Of
fresh hay and bric-a-bra decorations
of leaves and twigs.
When the painters came TO paint my
dwelling I expressed some fears that
their work would injure the health OF
my little tenants, and, sure enough,
Jenny became i'll aud one dey dropped
dead on the walk under the cottage.
We were all grieved, of course, and
curiously awaited to see what the male
bird would do when he came home.
Soon we heard his joyous voice as he
approached his little home. lie en-
tered and found II empty, and then
mounting the roof, he gave two OIL
three loud calls preparatory to the
longest and clearest burst of song
had yet heard from his little throat
Receiving no response, he started ir
quest Of his mate, only to return un
successful. On his return he saw hel
body on the walk and descended will
Joyous twittering to greet her. 1t wal
a sad scene, for the poor fellow seemed
to have no knowledge OF the tragedy
of death. lie kissed her frequently
chartered to her, and then would fly K
the door of the cottage and sing hi
prettiest airs, evidently trying to Goa,
her TO return. Soon he flow away, re
turning with a white feather, which
he offered her as present, but In vain
He repeated his embraces, his en-
treaties and his songs and brough
numerous pretty feathers, but all to n,
purpose. He did not realize that thu
faithful little bride was but speck Of
dust, as mute and lifeless as the whit,
feathers he carried In his bealx.
Finally, when he had gone from GU
sight again, we tenderly removed tn
little body and buried II in the corne
Of the garden. I was confident tina
the little widower would soon we,
again, but he remained true all tn
summer, inhabiting the little cottag
alone, his song less frequent, but We
joyous and hopeful, and full of faitl
that his little bride would return t
him ere the summer waned. He stage
with us until the waning days of sum
mer, and have not seen him since
With his neighbors, the blue birds an
martins. he had doubtless started to
wards his winter home, and when hi
little Iowa cottage is covered with tn
drifting SHOWS of winter he will b
snug and warm amid the green feld
and flowers of the sunny south.
III.
While ] have always a genuin
friendship and admiration for my MOD
est little tenants, the blue birds an
wrens, l must confess the most int
macy with my large number Of sun
mer boarders, the martins. The fou
families Of martins in their cottag
made large party In themselves, bu
scarcely day passed during the sun
mer when they did not entertain thei
friends Frequently the roof, bot
stories, and balconies of the cottag
were covered by these cheerful and 81
showing no alarm no matter how man
people observed them, and frequent
when leaving the cottage the bird
would dash down and pass within
few inches of the face of tho observer
thought at first this was a sort of be
ligerent attack during the hatchin
season, caused by the apprehensions {
the birds for the safety of their young
but as it occurred frequently, from tn
opening to the close of the season.
am of the opinion that this conduct {
the birds is more In the nature of
trick or pleasant greeting.
few days before the young bird
take their fight from the nest there
always large concourse of the birt
around the cottage. One evening
counted thirty-four birds swarmin
around the little home, all secmin
fairly intoxicated with Joy and GOO
feeling. As the same visitation o.
Cured last season and continued Il
three or four DAYS preceding the fligl
Of the young birds, my conclusion
that the birds have a custom of eel,