168 BIRDS OF FIELD, FOREST AND PARK 



you of the lay of his cousin, the House Wren. 

 It is rather wild and a trifle harsh, but, withal, 

 pleasing. 



The nesting habits of this nervous midget 

 are exceedingly interesting. They build a globe- 

 shaped structure of grass and rushes, attached 

 to reeds or bushes, with the entrance at the side 

 like the opening of a pocket. But this restless 

 creature does not stop with building a single 

 nest, although it can occupy but one. It seems 

 that its uncurbed energies compel constant 

 activity, and the male goes on building other 

 nests, sometimes a half dozen or more, while 

 his mate is hatching the brood. The reason for 

 this has occasioned much speculation among 

 ornithologists and scientists, the generally ac- 

 cepted theory being that the extra nests are 

 built as a means of protection to the sitting 

 mate, as the number lessens the chances that 

 an enemy will find the real home. This is a very 

 interesting explanation, but I can but doubt the 

 ability of these birds to reason so far. 



This is a plainly dressed Wren. The crown 

 is olive-brown, w^ith a w^hite line over the eye. 

 The black back is streaked with white, and the 

 dark wings and tail are barred with brown. 

 The under parts are white, washed with brown 

 on the sides. The bill is long and slightly curved. 

 They range in summer from the Gulf to central 

 New England, wintering from Florida south- 

 ward. They are slightly more than five inches 

 long. 



Short-billed Marsh Wren. This Wren also 

 inhabits marshes and meadows overgrown with 



