26 IN THE EOCKY MOUNTAINS. 



he made frequent visits to the eaves of the cot- 

 tage, the very spot I had hoped he would nest. 

 Then I noted that he carried in food, and on 

 coming out he alighted on a dead bush, and sang 

 under his breath. Here, then, was the nest, and 

 all his pretense of scolding across the brook was 

 but a blind ! Wary little rogue ! Who would 

 ever suspect a house wren of shyness ? 



I had evidently done him injustice when I 

 regarded the scolding as his family manner, for 

 here in his home he was quiet as a mouse, except 

 when his joy bubbled over in trills. 



To make sure of my conclusions I went close 

 to the house, and then for the first time (to 

 know it) I saw his mate. She came with food 

 in her beak, and was greatly disturbed at sight 

 of her uninvited guest. She stood on a shrub 

 near me fluttering her wings, and there her 

 anxious spouse joined her, and fluttered his in 

 the same way, uttering at the same time a low, 

 single note of protest. 



On looking in through the window, I found 

 that the cottage was a mere shell, all open under 

 the eaves, so that the birds could go in and out 

 anywhere. The nest was over the top of a 

 window, and the owner thereof ran along the 

 beam beside it, in great dudgeon at my im- 

 pertinent staring. Had ever a pair of wrens 

 quarters so ample, a whole cottage to them- 



