456 The Wilson Bulletin— No. 93 



Usually I have been content merely to watch the wrens in 

 their nest building ; their squabbles among themselves and with 

 other birds, becoming their protector when necessary. Truly, 

 these little mites are most companionable, original and 

 amusing. 



'However, in the spring of 1912, I had both an unusually 

 good nest for closer observations and the time to devote to 

 it. This particular box was not the bird's first choice by any 

 means. Three others were tried, only to be given up, and 

 when it was accepted finally, some of the twigs taken to the 

 other boxes were laboriously hauled out of the little holes 

 and carried to this new nest box, notwithstanding the fact 

 that twigs were to be found in abundance within a few feet 

 of the accepted box. 



The nest was begun May 4th and the first egg was laid 

 May 12th. One egg each day was deposited in the nest, un- 

 til there were eight. They began to hatch the 30th — one each 

 day for seven days. The eighth never hatched. 



Tiny spiders were fed to the young wrens first ; then very 

 small bugs ; then larger ones ; and finally beetles, crickets, 

 larger spiders, moths, worms, etc., were crammed into the 

 yawning mouths. The fledglings grew very fast, leaving the 

 nest the 18th of June. 



The very next day the same pair of wrens began a new 

 nest in another box on the same porch. The first egg was 

 laid the 23d, which shows the birds were not so fastidious 

 in its construction, for it took but four days to complete it, 

 while the first required eight. Five eggs were laid this time, 

 and five new wrens began to shift for themselves in the course 

 of two weeks or so. 



Wrens will build near your house or within a shed if there 

 is any chance to get into it. They do not always demand a 

 carefully made nest box. In fact, sometimes they seem to 

 prefer simpler quarters. One year I placed a branch from 

 a tree in my summer kitchen, and at its end had a good box 

 with a door the size of a quarter of a dollar in it. I find 

 this size is just right to admit wrens and shut out sparrows. 



