ONTARIO. 



Nest, in a hole or crevice, the neighborhood of a dwelling preferred , 

 composed of twigs, leaves, hair, feathers, etc. 



Eggs, 7 to 9 ; white, very thickly spotted with reddish-brown. 



In the thinl}' settled parts of the country where this Wren 

 has been observed, it breeds in any convenient hole or crevice 

 in a tree or fence post by the roadside, and on account of this 

 habit, and an imaginary superiority in point of size, those found 

 in such places were described as a separate species, and named 

 by Audubon the Wood Wren. The individuals procured in town 

 and country being subsequently fotmd to be identical, this name 

 has for some 3'ears been allowed to drop, and the birds having 

 taken kindh^ to the society of man are nearly all furnished with 

 houses, or finding other suitable nesting places near our dwellings 

 are living almost domesticated. They are sprightl}', active, little 

 birds, and do good service by the destruction of insects, which 

 they find on the trees in the orchard or about the outhouses. 

 Being possessed of all the scolding propensities peculiar to the 

 family, the}^ resent with great spirit any intrusion in the neigh- 

 borhood of their dwelling. Their greatest enemy in this respect 

 at present is the House Sparrow, who does not hesitate to eject 

 the Wrens when their premises appear to suit his purpose. 

 This habit may in time drive the Wrens back to their original 

 mode of life in the woods. 



Subgenus ANORTHURA Rennie. 

 285. TROGLODYTES HIEMALIS (Vieill.). 722. 



Winter Wren. 



Deep brown above, darkest on the head, brightest on the rump and tail, 

 obscurely waved with dusky and sometimes with whitish also ; tail like rump ; 

 wings dusky, edged with color of back, and dark barred ; several outer prim- 

 aries also whitish barred ; a superciliary line and obscure streaks on sides of 

 head and neck whitish. Below pale brown ; belly, flanks and under tail-coverts 

 strongly barred with dusky. Length, about 4 ; wing, 2 or less ; tail, i;|orless. 



Hab. Eastern North America generally, breeding from the northern 

 parts of the United States northward, and wintering from about its southern 

 breeding limit southward. 



287 



