134 



AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



^ag*** A WREN FAMILY, "***&£* 



~' T ^^. By Ernest Seeman. •S!g'~' K ~ 



«-5rC^ ••ViC* "^J*-- *v?C^ «->.^« --*(V* '/iO» «">K"» ">u"» --vie* "- iC* ~*. iC» '-H-* --vt\>» -ii«^. 



On May 8, 1902, at 5:00 a. m., a pair of Great Carolina wrens began 

 building their nest on our front porch. The nesting site was a very peculiar 

 one. In a flower pot, five feet from the front door, was planted a fern like 

 plant, with long, hanging leaves. Between this pot and the side of the porch 

 the birds built . After eleven days of hard work the female began sitting 

 on five eggs. Fifteen days from the time she began sitting, every egg hatch- 

 ed except one, which proved to be unfertile. While the female wren was 

 sitting, I witnessed the most untiring devotion towards her by the male, that 

 I have ever seen or heard of. He was up before sunrise every morning, sing- 



Photo by W. F. Smith. 



Young Brown Thrashers. 



