164 CERTHIAD.E. 



white moss, it is made of that material ; and with green moss 

 if against a tree covered with the same, or in a bank. Thus 

 instinct directs it for security." Mr. Jesse mentions in his 

 Gleanings, "that he has a Wren's nest in his possession, 

 built amongst some litter thrown into a yard. It so nearly 

 resembled the surrounding objects, that it was only disco- 

 vered by the birds flying out of it. Some of the straws of 

 which it is composed are so thick, that one wonders how so 

 small a bird could have used them." Without wishing to 

 detract from the character of the Wren for intelligence, I 

 cannot, however, but believe that the proximity of materials 

 may frequently influence the choice of situation and substance. 

 In the eighth volume of the Magazine of Natural History, 

 a correspondent says, in watching a pair of Wrens building 

 their nest in an old road, I noticed that one confined itself 

 entirely to the construction of the nest, which it never left 

 for a moment ; whilst the other was as incessantly passing 

 and repassing with materials for the structm-e. These ma- 

 terials, however, this helper never once attempted to put into 

 their places ; they were always regularly delivered to the 

 grand architect that was employed in constructing the 

 building. 



The nest is large, in reference to the small size of the bird, 

 generally oval in shape, domed over the top, with a small 

 hole at one end or on the side ; the lining is mostly com- 

 posed of feathers. The eggs are usually from seven to ten 

 in number, but a larger quantity has been assigned to them. 

 They measure seven lines and a half in length, by six lines in 

 breadth : they are white, with a few pale red spots, but some- 

 times without any spots. The young are hatched after about 

 ten days' incubation, during which time the male feeds the 

 female while she remains on the eggs, and afterwards both 

 parents are most assiduous in supplying their numerous off- 

 spring with insects in their various states and worms. In 



