WREN. 33 



branches with equal facility. The Rev, Clement Ley "thinks its 

 frequency throughout England is in proportion to the abundance 

 of apple and pear trees, and that the Nuthatch is far more common 

 here than in most counties." " It is very common at Aymestrey 

 and its neighbourhood," says the Rev. Thomas Woodhouse, "and 

 stays all the year. It is most ingenious in getting at the kernels 

 of the nuts it feeds on. The nut is firmly wedged into a fork of 

 a tree it takes a fancy to, and the bird hammers at it with all its 

 might. Empty nuts are detected at once and thrown to the ground. 

 The tree most frequented may soon be discovered by the litter 

 beneath it." 



The Nuthatch builds usually in a hole in the trunk of a tree, 

 and if it is too large, the bird plasters the sides with mud to make 

 it smaller. 



Family— TROGLODYTID^E. 



Genus— TROGLODYTES. 



TROGLODYTES PARVULUS— Wren. 



The Wren of softest note. 



COLERIDQE. 



Oh ! that I were the little Wren 

 That shrilly chirps from yonder glen. 



KiKKE White— JTep^ in School. 



The Wrens their pretty gossip spread 

 To join in a random roundelay. 



Jean Ingelow — Scholar. 



Cock Robin and Jenny Wren are the familiar favourites of our 

 childhood. They seem to place confidence in man's kindness. 

 The Wren, however, does not force itself so much into observation. 

 It is a lively, restless little bird, and, when closely watched, it 

 creeps, mouseUke, out of sight in the hedge bottoms, or the 

 faggot stack. 



D 



