A Successful Failure 



199 



The following year I erected a second box on another tree, in a different part 

 of the yard, but with no better success. Wrens were evidently nesting in our 

 neighbor's place, about one hundred yards distant, for each year I could hear 

 a male singing there from the latter part of April until nearly August. For the 

 succeeding three years, I had the same experience, and, although I finally had 

 various sizes of boxes and hollowed cocoanut shells all over the yard, I couldn't 

 induce a pair of Wrens to raise a brood. I did, however, succeed in keeping a 



SETTING THE CAMERA 



male Wren constandy singing about the place for several weeks each season, 

 which was well worth all my efforts. Finally, in July, 1907, the male Wren, 

 which, as in former years, had been playing at housekeeping all by himself, 

 was joined by a female. Though late in the nesting season, my hopes rose, and 

 then rose higher still when the pair began to carry sticks and straws into the box. 

 This was kept up for a few days, when both birds left the premises and were 

 not seen again that season. 



My curious experience interested me, and I determined to keep careful notes 



