144 OUR FAVOURITE SONG BIRDS 



grass-stalks, fine twigs or roots. The hen-bird 

 alone makes this wonderful nest, the male, however, 

 conveying much of the material. The eggs are 

 from four to eight in number, usually six, and are 

 white, somewhat sparingly spotted with reddish-brown 

 and grey. The Wren is a close sitter ; and when 

 disturbed often becomes very noisy. Several broods 

 are reared in the year. 



The food of the Wren is largely composed of 

 insects and their 'arvae ; but this fare is varied with 

 ants' eggs, small seeds and soft fruits. As is well 

 known, the bird often visits houses in the winter to 

 pick up food scattered for the wants of starved-out 

 songsters. The young birds, we should say, are 

 fed by their parents for some time after leaving the 

 nest. The call-note of the Wren is a loud and shrill 

 tit or tat, rattled off in quick succession, especially 

 if the bird be alarmed. 



The Wren has the general colour of the upper 

 parts rufous-brown, barred from below the neck (in- 

 cluding both wing and tail) with dark brown ; the 

 wing-coverts are spotted with white, forming a double 

 bar, and the quills are also barred with greyish ;■ 

 above the eye is a pale huffish streak. The under 

 parts are greyish-brown, shading into rufous on the 

 flanks, belly and under tail-coverts, which are barred 

 with darker brown. The female resembles the male 

 in colour, but is not quite so brilliant. The nestling 

 closely resembles the parent. The total length of 

 this bird is a little over four inches. 



