130 AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



ond story to their dwelling — that is, they were enlarging the rim of the 

 nest. When completed, it was nearly three times as large as the original 

 nest had been. 



One morning, soon after this, I was awakened by a great commotion 

 among the wrens. Hurrying out. I found the five small wrens on the ground. 

 I have often wondered whether they left the nest of their own accord or 

 were pushed out by the old birds. There had been a rain in the night and 

 everything was very wet. I thought it was really a very bad morning for 

 the youngsters to make their entrance into the outside world. If the old 

 wrens pushed them out, they certainly showed a lack of the good bird sense 

 they are usually accredited with. 



The old birds chattered and scolded, and coaxed the young ones to fly, 

 but were compelled finally to feed their babies there on the ground. By 

 noon they had been coaxed to the grindstone, a few feet away. That even- 

 ing they managed to get into a low tree, and the next morning they were 

 gone. We missed the cheery singer and sometimes heard him in the dis- 

 tance, where we supposed he was bringing up his family according to strict 

 bird rules. 



In December of that year, I went back to that delightful country home 

 for a few days. The morning after my arrival a Carolina wren was singing 

 on the very spot on the roof where I had seen one so often in May. I am 

 sure he was the same bird. 



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