BEWICK'S WREN- 201 



Bewick's Wren : Thryothorus hewickii. 



Upper parts dark brown ; under parts grayish ; wings and tail 

 barred ; outer tail feathers black ; white line over eye. 

 Length, 5 inches. 



Geographic Distribution. — Eastern United States ; rare and 

 local east of AUeghauies and north of 40*^ ; west to edge of 

 Great Plains ; winters in more southern districts (Georgia to 

 eastern Texas). 



In southern Illinois Mr. Eiclgway found this 

 the common Wren. It lived around the houses, 

 and sang its fine, clear song from the roofs. Mr. 

 Nehrling describes the bird's notes as "liquid, 

 sweet, and finely modulated." He says that in 

 Texas the Wren has become a perfect house-bird, 

 frequenting the log-cabin of the poor settler as 

 well as the villa of the rich merchant. When 

 neither nesting-boxes nor natural cavities are to 

 be found, it will build on beams in log-houses and 

 stables, in smoke-houses and wood-sheds. Mr. 

 Nehrling has also found nests in stove-pipes that 

 lay on the ground, in the pocket of an overcoat 

 that hung on the piazza, in tool-boxes and book- 

 cases in inhabited rooms. The nest is bulky, and 

 is sometimes arched over, with the entrance on 

 one side. The eggs are white, speckled with 

 brown. 



