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Bird - Lore 



of mv ill-success and write u|) my failure for the readers of Bird-Lore, who 

 are accustomed onl\- to accounts of success in similar efforts to attract birds. 

 But all these intentions and plans of mine were spoiled on May lo, 1908, when 

 one of my old boxes actually contained five young Wrens. I did not, however, 

 greatly pride myself on this success, or rather failure, because the nesting-site 

 in our neighbor's yard across the street had given way to a new dwelling since 

 the preceding summer. 



Of course, I kept careful and detailed notes of everything that transpired 

 during the rearing of this brood; yet, I will here purposely omit all the customary 

 details regarding feeding, etc., as similar information has so often been written 



r H K R K T L' K N 1- I< < > M 1 H 1-. H T N I 



before about the House Wrens. The information that follows was new to me, 

 and I give it because part of it may ]}ri)w to be both new and of interest. 



In the first jjlace, I was interested in imling the selection of the nesting-box 

 i)y the Wrens. All mv cocoanut shells, which were securely suspended by heavy 

 wires from the limbs of trees, so as to be cal-i)roof, were not fancied, and a small- 

 sized, old wooden box, on the top of an eight-foot trellis, was chosen. 



The feeding of my young Wrens was done entirely by the female, who drove 

 the unwilling male from the nesting-site the second or third day after the young 

 were hatched. Several times during the first two days following incubation, the 

 male appeared at the box with food for his offspring. However, these efforts 

 were not accejjtable to her ladyship, who severely scolded her consort each time 

 he thus appeared. For a day or two after this, the banished male could be heard 



