AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



35 



egg there. Someone had found the nest and robbed it of its treasures, 

 but evidently the wrens had ceased mourning their loss and were pre- 

 paring to try again. When next I saw the nest, about two weeks later, 

 I was delighted to find that it contained eight eggs, and once more Jack 

 was the proudest of birds. 



Business now kept me av.'ay from their home for a number of days, 

 but when I called again, their happy thrills assured me, before I reached 

 the orchard, that they had not been molested a second time. It seemed 

 to me that they were unusually busy, tor they were continually flitting 

 from the tree to the ground and back, and did not notice me until I 

 reached the nest. When I looked in the cause of their activity was ap- 

 parent, for the eight eggs had been transformed into eight little baby 

 wrens, each with an appetite all out of proportion to its size. They 

 were not fastidious in the least, as their bill of fare included spiders, 

 ants, small wasps, caterpillars and many other insects. During the next 

 few days, Mrs. Wren caused me considerable trouble by flying directly 

 into the nest, instead of alighting outside so that I might photograph 

 her. 



Photo from life. 



