HOUSE-WREN 17 
curious to know how he managed to capture so 
clever a bird, I watched him. His method was to go 
out into the grounds frequented by Wrens, and seat 
himself conspicuously amongst the weeds or bushes ; 
and then, after the first burst of alarm had subsided 
amongst the small birds, one or two Wrens would 
always take on themselves the task of dislodging him, 
or, at all events, of making his position a very uncom- 
fortable one. The cat would sit perfectly motionless, 
apparently not noticing them at all, and by-and-by 
this stolid demeanour would have its effect, and one 
of the Wrens, growing bolder, would extend his 
dashing little incursions to within a few inches of 
pussy’s demure face ; then at last, swift as lightning, 
would come the stroke of a paw, and the little brown 
body would drop down with the merry, brave little 
spirit gone from it. 
The House-Wren is widely distributed in South 
America, from the tropical forests to the cold uplands 
of Patagonia, and, possessing a greater adaptiveness 
than most species, it inhabits every kind of country, 
moist or dry, and is as much at home on lofty moun- 
tains and stony places as in the everglades of the 
Plata, where it frequents the reed-beds and damp 
forests. About houses they are always to be found ; 
and though the traveller on the desert pampas might 
easily imagine that there are no Wrens in the giant 
grasses, if he makes himself a lodge in this lonely 
region, a Wren will immediately appear to make its 
nest in his thatch and cheer him with its song. 
Even in large towns they are common, and I always 
B I 
