96 TROGLODYTID^ : WRENS. 



Like others of its family, the House Wren is a hole- 

 breeder ; its nidification is very various, dependent 

 upon its entourage ; but in cultivated and well-popu- 

 lated regions the pert and fearless little creature 

 usually nests near man's dwelling, almost any odd 

 nook about a building seeming to answer its purpose 

 perfectly well. There is no established " order of 

 architecture " in this case, and an enormous quantity 

 of trash is often laboriously lugged into the chosen 

 recess by the indefatigable birds. The eggs, of which 

 there may be more than one set in a season, are from 

 6 to 9 in number, measuring from 0.58 to 0.64 in 

 length by 0.48 to 0.52 in breadth; they are pinkish- 

 white, very closely dotted all over with reddish brown ; 

 the markings, however, varying so much as to give dif- 

 ferent sets a very different general cast of color. The 

 first set is laid late in May, and another may be pro- 

 duced in five or six weeks ; for it does not take long 

 for these smart little birds to demonstrate their ability 

 to start a family and keep it up. The food of the House 

 Wren consists almost entirely of small insects and 

 their larvae, such as lurk about out-houses and in 

 shrubbery. Aside from its nuptial song, so melo- 

 diously and heartily trilled, the bird shares with other 

 Wrens the harsh chattering notes characteristic of 

 this family, and invariably uttered when the cat or 

 any other enemy threatens the peace of the community. 

 So successful is the little creature in defending its home, 

 that puss not seldom saves her credit by giving up her 

 evil designs ; when victory, in the shape of a tiny brown 

 bird, perches on the nearest spray, and rings out the 

 result with renewed enthusiasm. 



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