SUMMER BIRDS OF SHAW's GARDEN. 7Z 



astringent wild fruit docs not seem to stimulate them much 

 to poetry and song. Many people call it the Brown Thrush, 

 but it is neither brow^n nor a thrush, for it belongs with its cous- 

 ins to the Wren family. Its color is a rich rust-red above and 

 white, tinged with light cinnamon and heavily streaked with 

 brown, below. It differs from the Wood Thrush, with which 

 it is often confounded, by its curved bill and its greater length, 

 nearl}' one-half of which belongs to the tail. It is terres- 

 trial and rasorial in its habits, often seen half running, half 

 hopping, on the ground in different parts of the Garden. Its 

 usual haunts are open woodland, hedgerow^s and thickets, and 

 though it makes its home in parks and garden, it does not be- 

 come so confiding as its cousins, shunning observation as 

 much as possible. Only when singing docs it occupy a prom- 

 inent perch ; ascending tree tops and assuming an upright posi- 

 tion it floods the air with a flow of melody which is equalled in 

 charm and force by few birds. When startled it utters a pe- 

 culiar alarm note, that sounds like a smack with the tongue, 

 often followed by a soft, melodious whistle. 



HOUSE WREN. Troglodytes aedon. 



Nooks about the many buildings of the Garden afford sev- 

 eral pairs of House Wrens desirable nesting sites, and through- 

 out the summer the little busy-bodies cut a prominent figure 

 in the different divisions of the establishment. Originally the 

 Wren's home was along borders of woods and in the timber 

 fringing water courses, where natural cavities in trees and old 

 woodpecker holes were used for nesting sites. With the ad- 

 vent of settlements the Wren became a companion of man 

 and is now rarely found far away from dwellings during nest- 

 ing time. Its pert appearance, fearless demeanor, and at- 

 tractive manners have won the hearts of many people who 

 affectionately call it their Jenny- Wren and treat it with much 

 consideration. In the suburbs of St. Louis it is one of the 

 most familiar birds. Its song is only a short trill, but is de- 

 livered with much vivacity and earnestness, while the per- 

 former sits upright with drooping tail and thrown-up head, 

 quite different from its usual attitude when it creeps and 



