Some Bluebird Boxes and Troubles. 123 



eggs, and they were nearly incubated when the female aban- 

 doned the nest and after a few days disappeared. My 

 neighbor took the box down soon afterwards and found no 

 eggs. Here was a mystery, for he knew the bird had been 

 incubating a set of eggs and knew they could not yet have 

 hatched. The mystery was cleared up by a similar case. 



My bird chum had put up boxes in his large yard and one 

 was occupied by a family of wrens and two others by spar- 

 rows whom he systematically robbed as soon as a new 

 set of eggs was laid. He moved a sparrow box and 

 hung it on the fence temporarily when a pair of Blue- 

 birds came along and took possession and laid a set 

 of eggs. The box was moved to a tree to get it 

 away from cats. The set of four eggs were almost 

 ready to hatch when all disappeared but one and that 

 was pierced. Of course we declared at once that the 

 "British" had done it and declared war. We went to the 

 box and found the other eggs under it, almost fully incu- 

 bated — pierced. My friend put a set of sparrow's eggs in 

 the nest and the next day they were gone. This rather non- 

 plussed us, but another set was put in, and the wren was 

 caught in the act of disposing of them. This was a hard 

 blow to us, with whom Jenny had always been a favorite, 

 and who had occupied our boxes from year to year. 



It was remembered then that the Bluebird had come out 

 to drive away the wren who had stolen up to the box sev- 

 eral times. A search at my neighbor's box also revealed 

 the pierced eggs near by. 



To conclude: It is my opinion that House Wrens and Blue- 

 birds should not be accommodated with homes very near 

 each other; tiiat Bluebirds need help to become established; 

 that a box may be "hoodooed" for sparrows by keeping 

 one a prisoner, a short time, in it. 



I hope others will try the swinging box with no near 

 neighbors. They should be put up by March 1 5 or 20, for 

 I found a brood of Bluebirds out and flying May 8, this year. 



Bristol, Conn. 



