Wild Birds 



Figs. 16-19. House Wrens climbing to 

 nest-hole with food. For description see 

 List of Illustrations. 



Mother Wren was on the stump 

 and sounding her alarm, ek-ek- 

 ek-ek-ek-ek-ek-ek-ek! In giving 

 this harsh rattle the bill does 

 not close, but the lower mandi- 

 ble moves rapidly and the 

 whole body quivers, as the air 

 is expelled in little puffs from 

 the throat. A few minutes 

 later she was crawling up the 

 bark like a mouse, with a field- 

 spider pinched between the 

 sharp points of her bill. Her 

 next victim was a black bee- 

 tle, but, frightened at some ob- 

 ject or sound, she brought it to 

 the stump many times, reeling 

 off her harsh rattle, or giving 

 her incisive kek! kek! before 

 venturing inside. 



The work of feeding was 

 borne wholly by the female, 

 both at this and at another 

 nest studied earlier in the sea- 

 son. She would come and go 

 quietly, unless disturbed, when 

 her rattle would sound until 

 every suspicion was allayed. 

 Sometimes she would fly first 

 to the tent roof, then to the 

 stump, running up or down to 

 the hole. Again she would 

 alight on the screen, and then 

 go to the stump by way of the 

 wire net, always pausing at the 

 entrance to the nest before 

 venturing inside. It was some 



