WREN. 41 



lowing years sadly thinned its numbers. At this season 

 the birds may be heard calKng to each other in the 

 evenings, and then all go to some old nest, Martin's or 

 other, and huddle together for warmth whilst sleeping. 

 The Wren frequents the neighbourhood of the largest 

 cities, and Byerley states that it is common near Liver- 

 pool, whilst throughout the Manchester district it is still 

 plentiful. It is very pugnacious, and in the Zoologist 

 for 1869, under date March 17th, Mr. J. Murton, of 

 Silverdale, gives an account of an extraordinary contest 

 he once witnessed. He says : "I was walking past an 

 ivy-clad rock, when my attention was attracted by a 

 rustling among the leaves, and in a few moments down 

 came the objects which were causing the disturbance, 

 in the shape of two Wrens closed in desperate conflict. 

 They continued the combat at our feet, and we managed 

 to capture one of them under a hat, the other making 

 its escape to the top of the rock, and immediately giving 

 out its vigorous notes of defiance. On our prisoner 

 being released, he forthwith returned the challenge in 

 notes equally loud, and in less than a minute the two 

 had again closed, and again came to the ground 

 struggling together. A second time one of them was 

 caught under the hat, but it got awa}-, and lost no time 

 in answering the note of battle already sounded by its 

 antagonist. The contest was resumed for the third 

 time, and with the same result, the two falling to the 

 ground together as before. I attempted another capture, 

 but failed. Whether the defiant notes which were again 

 uttered ended in a fourth battle, I did not stop to 

 ascertain. I noticed that in closing they grasped each 

 other's feet, and fought with their beaks." The well- 

 known habit of the W^ren to build several other nests, 

 generally called cock-nests, in the vicinity of the one it 



