Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1905-06-22
Wren Discipline.

Hidden in the grass, l tried to solve
the secret of father wrens petulant
actions. Each time the patient moth
er returned he grew more restless
and violent in his language. Soon l
sawhis wife whirl joyously by with an
unusually large white grub-surely a
prize for any bird. But alas for all
her prowess, her spouse darted at her
as if in madness, while she, trembling
in terror, retreated down the limb
and through the bushes. For a few
moments it seemed as if the wren
household was to be wrecked. | was
tempted to take the mothers part
against such cruel treatment as she
quivered through the fern on Hutter-
ing wing toward me, but at that mo-
ment, as if thoroughly subdued, she
yielded up the bug to the father.
This was the bone Of contention. A
domestic battle had been fought and
he had won. The scoldIng ceased.
Both seemed satisfied. Mounting to
the tree top, the little mother poured
forth such a food of sweet song as
rarely strikes a human ear. From
that moment she seemed a different
wren, released from all care and wor-
ry. Her entire time was spent in
search of bugs. Each return was
heraIded by the high-sOundins trill
from the tree top, and her husband
whirled out of the tangled vines to
take the morsel she carried.
But what of his actions2 He had
either gone crazy or he was most
selfish little tyrant, for he few about
the alder stump, calling now in
softer tone to his children within, and
finally swallowed the grub himself.
Two or three times he did this, until
l was so disgusted I could hardly en-
dure him. II he were hungry, why
could he not skirmish for his own
bugs?
While l was chiding him fol- his
infamous action, the mother appeared
with large moth, which he readily
took. Among the alder limbs the
father flew, and finally up to the
nest-hole, out of which was issuing
such series Of hungry screams as no
parent with the least bit of devotion
could resist. Hardly could | believe
my eyes, for the little knave just
went to the door, where each hungry
nesting could get good view Of the
morsel, then, as if scolding the little
ones for being so noisy and hungry,
he hoped back down the tree into
the bushes.
This was indeed cause for a family
revolt. The brown nesting nearest
the door grew so bold with hunger
that he forgot his fear and plunged
headlong down, catching in the
branches below where the father
perched. And the youngster got the
large moth as reward for his brsv-
cry.
Not till then did it dawn upon me
that there was reason for the faith
er's queer actions. The wrenlets were
old enough to leave the nest. Out
side in the warm sunshine they could
be fed more easily and would grow
more rapidly, and they could be
taught the ways Of woodcrsft. In
half an hour, one after another, the
little wrens had been persuaded, even
compelled, to leave the narrow con-
fines of the nest and launch out into
the big world.
What task the father had brought
upon himself Surely the woman in
the shoe never had more trying
time. The fretful father darted away
to punish one of the wrenlets for not
remaining quiet; he scurried here to
scold another for wandering too far,
or whirled away to whip third for
not keeping low in the underbrush
away from the hawks watchful eyes.