THE HOUSE WREN. 77 



by three inches in width, .open at the top. In this a pair of wrens in- 

 sisted, time after time, in building their nest. Though removed each 

 time the ai-ticle was used, the pair for a long while persisted in their 

 attempts to make use of this place, at last depositing their eggs on the 

 bare bottom of the box." 



Mr. Gentry says he found one case in which the wrens had 

 dug out a pewee's nest of mud and moss, and piled their rude 

 Structure into it ; and another in which they had filled up an 

 oriole's pouch-nest, their rough lumber protruding on all sides 

 through the oriole's finely woven felt. It is their delight to 

 seize upon the gallery of a woodpecker, fill up the cavity 

 with sticks and successfully defy the owner ; or to steal into a 

 bluebird's or martin's snug room in a garden bird-box, and, hav- 

 ing dragged out the grass furniture, to substitute their own 

 rude materials, barricading the entrance so very rapidly and so 

 effectually that the disconsolate bluebirds are obliged to go 

 elsewhere. Two or more pairs settled near each other are at 

 constant war, for the wren considers every other bird a tres- 

 passer on his property. 



As soon as the nest is ready (and in spite of it srough exterior 

 it is warmly furnished with grass, etc., within), the female lays 

 her eggs, each day, until six to nine have been deposited ; but 

 if they are taken away one by one she will lay twice that num- 

 ber before stopping. The eggs are oval in some and almost per- 

 fectly round in other examples, .65 to .60 long by about .55 

 wide in dimensions, dusted with brownish brick-color and a 

 few purplish dots so completely, as to hide the white back- 

 ground. They are among the most easily recognized of all 

 eggs. During the ten days which the female sits, any intrusion 

 upon her privacy is resented with tfie most vehement expressions 

 of anger. When not defending his mate, the male is singing 

 to her, or busy in providing her with food. In the northern 

 states the first fledglings appear about June i. The young are 

 soon able to crawl out of the nest, but for a long time are ob- 

 jects of tender and assiduous care on the part of the parents 

 whom they follow about. According to Prof. M. C. Read, who 

 has paid much attention to the food of young birds, and who 



