for the purpose of deceiving the parasiti- 

 cal cuckoo. 



There is also a supposition that the 

 bird's active nature finds relief in work, 

 being urged on by the increasing lone- 

 someness. This wren-trait reaches a cli- 

 max in the marsh wrens, with whom the 

 building habit becomes a passion. 



Nor is it restricted to the wren family, 

 many instances being recorded where 

 other species have beguiled the waiting 

 days by an imitative housekeeping. 



The house phoebe has been known to 

 build a second nest while its mate was 

 brooding. To all appearances this was 

 an instance of over-developed domestic 

 tastes. Nor did the experiment end with 

 the completion of the duplicate nest upon 

 which the male bird sat regularly for sev- 

 eral hours daily. 



Wrens do not take kindly to double 

 houses, their warlike nature seeming to 

 revolt against living friendly with near 

 neighbors. A pair of wrens that was 

 well established in an unoccupied martin 

 house made it very uncomfortable for the 

 later arrivals. While the martins were 

 abroad after material for the nest the 

 wrens sallied forth in an utterly vindic- 

 tive spirit and scratched out all their 

 neighbors had constructed. After sing- 

 ing a triumphant song with much parade 

 they wisely retired to their own domicile 

 to be on the defensive. 



Wiser wrens, with an instinctive 

 knowledge that an ounce of prevention is 

 worth a pound of cure, are known to 

 have the forethought when the box in 

 which they build contains two compart- 

 ments, to fill up one of them, thus avoid- 

 ing the risk of troublesome neighbors. 

 Wrens have been known to nest in a hu- 

 man skull. Others with less question- 

 able taste, have gone to housekeeping in 

 an old boot, a watering pot, a coat sleeve ; 

 in gourds and baskets, jars and water 

 pipes, while another pair made a nest in 

 the lower part of a stone vase in the gar- 

 den. There was a hole for drainage in 

 the bottom of the vase, and through this 

 hole they found, beneath some shavings, 

 a circular space just suited for a nest. 

 The vase was not filled with plants until 

 the domestic affairs of the wren family 

 were happily concluded. 



The delicate swaying hammock of the 



oriole is sometimes used foi a second 

 nesting. 



There was bitter disappointment in 

 wren circles earlier in the season when, 

 with the presumption of inexperience, the 

 pump was rilled regularly vvith eoaise 

 twigs, which were promptly dislodged at 

 nightfall. Undiscouraged at this defeat, 

 the morning hours were utilized for re- 

 building with a persistency well worthy 

 a more intelligent effort; they worked 

 and sang, sang and worked, until a cigar 

 box was nailed to a tree for their special 

 accommodation. This was nearly full of 

 twigs when they decided that the build- 

 ing-site was ineligible, a decision has- 

 tened by the fact that just at this oppor- 

 tune time a glass fruit can was left upon 

 the piazza shelf. No sooner was this 

 glass house seen than its possibilities 

 were realized and plans were quickly 

 made for a kind of crystal palace experi- 

 ment. Under other circumstances this 

 might have been a dangerous precedent, 

 as certain unneighborly conduct toward 

 their little brothers of the air had at vari- 

 ous times fairly invited the throwing of 

 stones. The can was half full of tiny 

 fagots, and Jenny was thinking of settling 

 upon the mattress of wood fibre when 

 the thrifty housewife turned them adrift 

 summarily, well aware that this kind of 

 housekeeping, within easy range of 

 neighboring cats, would not be success- 

 ful. Before such supreme content, who 

 could have the heart to undeceive them ? 

 And yet, the can wa9 turned upside down 

 before they could be made to understand 

 the situation. Like Thoreau, they did 

 not wish to practice self-denial unless it 

 was quite necessary ! 



After the failure of this crystal scheme, 

 it was a difficult matter for Jenny to 

 make up her mind as to a further prefer- 

 ence, but when she really decided it was 

 with such entire good faith as left no 

 doubt in her lover's mind as to her judg- 

 ment. This was more flattering as it was 

 his own choice, their last year's home 

 thoroughly remodeled, to which he had 

 repeatedly called her attention, vainly. So 

 the hole in the house jet at least answered 

 the question, "Where are the birds in last 

 year's nests?" for the wrens moved in 

 regularly, the tenor having a perch upon 

 a projecting bracket where Jenny joined 



186 



