192 



BIRDS OF AMERICA 



Fussy, nervous, excitable, impatient, restless, 

 and inquisitive, his tail cocked up over his back 

 with true Wren-like pertness, this energetic little 

 bunch of flesh and feathers is much like his well 

 known cousin, the House Wren. ■ But he is a 

 much better singer than Mr. Jenny. 



" Not a voluble chatter, like the House 

 Wren's," says W. F. Henninger ( in Dawson's 

 Birds of Ohio), "but clear, strong and cheery, 

 easily heard for a quarter of a mile — such is 

 the song of Bewick's Wren. Easily distinguished 

 from the former, he has the same teasing ways 

 about him — now peeping into some corner, now 

 examining the wood-pile, now crawling into a 

 knot-hole of a smoke-house, creeping forth like 

 a mouse at the next moment, whisking his erectly 

 carried tail, watching you carefully though fear- 

 lessly, he all of a sudden mounts some fence- 

 post, pours forth his proud metallic notes, drops 

 down into the chicken yard, disappears in the 

 pig pen, mockingly scolds at you, sings again, 

 and is willing to keep this game up all day. We 

 do not know which to admire more, his beautiful 

 song or his confidence in man." 



This species is also Wren-like in its selection 

 of queer nesting places — an old shoe, tlie arm 

 of an old coat, a discarded battered tin cup, and 

 so on. Indeed, in this respect these Wrens re- 

 veal wonderfully versatile adaptability, which, 

 incidentally, reflects a most gratifying friendli- 

 ness for and confidence in mere man. 



The economic value of this Wren's feeding 

 habits is beyond all question very great. The 

 contents of 146 stomachs examined showed that 

 of its diet for a year a little more than 97 per 

 cent, was composed of insects and less than 3 

 per cent, of vegetable matter. The only vege- 

 table matter found that could possibly be useful 

 to man was a little fruit pulp. Of the animal 

 food various families of bugs made up the largest 

 percentage. These included several species be- 

 longing to the same family as the highly de- 



structive chinch bug, and their destruction by 

 birds undoubtedly is very beneficial. It was also 

 evident that the bird feeds on the black olive scale, 

 a very harmful species. About 21 per cent, of 

 the bird's food consists of beetles, chiefly lady- 

 birds, weevils, and other species. Ladybirds, 

 which constituted about 3 per cent, of the food 

 found in the stomachs examined, are probably 

 the most useful insects of their order, and the 

 bird's destruction of them is regrettable. On the 

 other hand, the bird eats weevils, or snout beetles, 

 to the extent of nearly 10 per cent, of its food, 

 and as all of these are harmful, and some the 

 most injurious of all pests of the orchard or 

 forest, it must be admitted that the Wren pays 

 a fair price for the ladybirds. Beetles belonging 

 to the family of engravers, which live under the 

 bark of trees and greatly damage valuable tim- 

 ber, are also destroyed by these Wrens. 



West of the Mississippi are five regional vari- 

 eties of Bewick's Wren. In the coast region of 

 middle California is Vigors's Wren (Thryomancs 

 bcivicki spiliinis). larger and browner than the 

 type species. In the southern part of the Great 

 Plains is the Texas \\'ren (Thryoinanes bczvicki 

 cryptus) : this member of the family is also larger 

 than his eastern relative but his coloration is 

 grayer. Baird's Wren {Thryomanes bczvicki 

 bairdi) breeds from California (east of the 

 .Sierra Nevada), southern Nevada, southern Utah 

 and southeastern Colorado south into Mexico ; 

 he is smaller than Bewick's \\Ven. Still smaller 

 and with his upper part a duller, or slightly 

 olive, brown is the San Diego Wren {Thry- 

 omancs bczvicki charicnturus) ; he lives in the 

 coast district of southern California and northern 

 Lower California. The Seattle Wren (Thry- 

 omancs bczvicki calophonus) is a deep sepia on 

 his upper parts ; his home is the yellow-pine 

 country of the Pacific slope from .Southern Van- 

 couver and southern British Columbia south to 

 Oregon. 



HOUSE WREN 

 Troglodytes aedon aedon J'icillot 



A. O. U. Number 721 .'^ee Color Plate 102 



Other Names. — Brown Wren : Common Wren : 

 Wood Wren ; Stump Wren ; Short-tailed House Wren ; 

 Jenny Wren. 



General Description. — Length. 5 inches. Upper 

 parts, brown ; under parts, white and grayish-brown. 



Bill, shorter than head, straight or but very slightly 

 curved downward, tapering gradually; wings, moderate 

 in length, rounded ; tail, about length of wing, much 

 rounded, the feathers narrow with rounded tips. 



Color. — Above, brozmi (nearest prouts-brown) duller 



