THE WREN. 105 



habits which is alluded to by Darwin in his Origin of 

 Species, as well as by Macgillivray, Yarrell, and Mr. Seebohm, 

 in their Histories of British Birds. The last mentioned 

 author says these "are widely known as cock-nests. Most 

 country people, and not a few scientific naturalists, assert 

 that they are either made for the male bird's reception, 

 or that they are for the purpose of sheltering the birds 

 during the inclement winter season. The explanation of this 

 singular habit is still unknown, although many ingenious 

 theories have been offered." It would appear, however, that 

 they are sometimes used by Wrens for shelter at night, 

 for Mr. Compton-Lundie of Spital, in the parish of Hutton, 

 has informed me that, some years ago, when he was engaged 

 one winter night in catching Sparrows with a net in the 

 ivy on the wall of his house, he observed a bird fly out 

 of a large Wren's nest in the ivy, and on putting his hand 

 over the mouth of the nest, and taking it into a room 

 in the house, no fewer than fifteen live Wrens were found 

 in it. Macgillivray gives several instances where these birds 

 have been found by his correspondents, sheltering in " cock- 

 nests " at night, during severe weather in winter ; and, 

 from the letters which he quotes, it appears that these are 

 not lined with feathers, like those in which the eggs are 

 laid and hatched. The eggs, which are usually six or eight 

 in number, are white, with small light red spots. The food 

 of the Wren consists mostly of insects, but in autumn it 

 will also eat fruit, and in winter crumbs and other refuse 

 from the table, like the Eobin. It was a popular belief at 

 one time in some parts of Scotland that the Wren was the 

 wife of the Eobin, and an allegorical song in Herd's Collection 

 refers to this — 



The Wren she lyes in care's bed, 



In care's bed, in care's bed ; 

 The Wren she lyes in care's bed, 



In meikle dule and pyne, 0. 



