THE ENGLISH SPARROW AND TTS ALLIES 287 



The Troglodytidae, or wrens, 

 are characteristic of South 

 America, but some have spread 

 into North America and north- 

 ern Europe. Our house- wren, 

 which is a near relative of the 

 European house-wren, is an ac- 

 tive little brown bird, with a 

 sharply bent-up tail. 1 In this 

 same family belong the mock- 

 ing-birds, the centre of whose 

 distribution is Central America, 

 the \Vest Indies, and the south- 



FIG. i>r>7. Golden-crowned king- 



let (R 



ern United States. The 

 large brown thrasher and 

 the cat-bird are familiar 

 over the country. The 

 mocking-bird does not 



O 



o^et far north into New 



o 



England. It is regarded 

 by many as superior to 

 the nihtinale as a 



snger. 



FKJ. 2(iS. White-breasted nuthatch (S:tta 

 carolinensis) . 



The family of Mnioti- 

 lidae, or " wood - war- 

 blers," is the peculiar 

 glory of America. It 



1 Fig. 270. 



