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 



