mo6 Rural School Leaflet 



release 



One day 



I went 



To the fields to rest. 



The sun 



Hung low 



On the rim of the West. 



A sparrow 



Chirped 



As it dropped to its nest. 



And my soul 



Had found 



The boon of its quest. — L. H. B. 



House wren, " jenny wren." — Size: Smaller than the English sparrow. 



General color: Brown above, lighter below. 



Distinctive features: Its small size, unstreaked brown coloration, 

 and habit of carrying its tail erect will distinguish it from all but the winter 

 wren. The latter is very rare in New York State during the summer, 

 except in the mountains. It is a darker bird than the house wren and 

 is much more terrestrial, dodging like a mouse about logs in the woods. 



Remarks: Of all the birds that nest in our dooryards and about our 

 houses, the house wren is the favorite. Its tuneful, bubbling notes make 

 it a welcome resident on our grounds, and we eagerly await its return 

 in spring from its winter home in the South. Its tiny body, about five 

 inches long, is full of energy and it seems to have much spirit and a good 

 bit of temper when occasion demands. 



House wrens will build in a bird house. The opening in the house 

 should not be larger than an inch in diameter, thus preventing English 

 sparrows from making use of the nesting place. A cavity in a fence post 

 or a tree, with a place for a perch, will invite wrens. Boxes with openings 

 an inch in diameter should be placed about the farm buildings and the 

 school buildings. This will help to encourage wrens to live where they 

 can take part in the business of the farm year after year. The young 

 birds consume much food that includes many injurious insects. It is 

 a good thing to have farm hands who can cat and do their work at 

 the same time, and who provide rare music for the entire countryside 

 — music that is frolicsome and filled with melody. 



