DAILY DOINGS 



away in the hollow, their merry song frequently be- 

 trayed them. It is still a mystery why they hesitated 

 so long to have confidence in us. 



Great was our rejoicing, then, one May when, on 

 our arrival in the country we found not only that the 

 wrens had moved into the box at my own west window 

 but that they had accepted the birch-bark wigwam 

 and also built a nest on the shelf of the tool-house and 

 another under the eaves of the kitchen-house. We had 

 plenty of melody that season, and each year since then 

 the rollicking company has returned to us. This 

 spring one took possession of an old woodpecker's nest 

 in a log placed inside the dog-trot! When the screen 

 had to be put up, the log was carefully moved in the 

 night to a place under the eaves; but this particular 

 wren disapproved of the change and took French leave. 



A learned ornithologist informed us that our birds 

 were Bewick wrens. Certainly no wrens could have 

 more delicious notes or be more captivating in their 

 daily life. 



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