BIRDS OF PEASEMARSH 



dah where the weather beaten wood, beginning 

 to decay, left a crevice. On June mornings their 

 singing sounded through the whole house. 

 They never seemed to be alarmed at any noise 

 from inside, but rather to enjoy it, and at the 

 sound of the piano they were overwhelmed 

 with delight. During each summer two broods 

 were successfully hatched and added their little 

 voices to the sweet Wren chorus. 



Then it happened that early one year, before 

 they had come back from the south, the veran- 

 dah had to be repaired. New wood took the 

 place of the old, mouldering rafter where the 

 Wrens had nested, and this was freshly painted. 

 Upon their return the Wrens inspected it, but 

 alas, the little hollow and the old, mouldering 

 wood were gone, and they were suspicious of 

 the newness that had taken its place. They 

 would not nest there again. They did not 

 leave the house, however, but flitted back and 

 forth round the back door, w r here there was no 

 new wood and no fresh paint. Before long it 

 was discovered that they were nesting in a rag 

 bag that hung on the back of the door in the 

 summer kitchen, and were going in and out 

 through the open window. In that nest in the 



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