294 THE WREN 



The food of the wren consists of insects and their pupae, which it 

 searches for in every nook and cranny of moss-covered walls and 

 fences, or on the lichen-clad roots of trees, but principally amongst 

 the hedgerows, where its lack of a long tail seems to considerably 

 facilitate its movements ; for no other bird hunts so continuously in 

 a line parallel with the hedge itself, or threads the interlacing twigs 

 with such dexterity. But if so minded, the wren can turn itself into 

 a tree-creeper and rapidly ascend a tree to a considerable height, 

 crawling up 'with almost imperceptible hops; but, unlike the tree- 

 creeper, every now and again assisting itself with tiny flutterings of 

 the wings. The slender and slightly curved bill, too, is almost as 

 finely adapted a means to an end as that of the tree-creeper. The 

 hind-toe also is long, and the claws long and arched slight structural 

 adaptation which must greatly assist it in tree climbing. 



I have seen it stated by one writer that, owing to the wren's 

 restricted diet, vast numbers yearly fall victims to starvation during 

 frosty weather. But all others are agreed in pronouncing it an 

 extremely hardy bird. Macgillivray remarks: "That small as the 

 wren is, it seems to receive as little injury from severe weather as 

 any of the larger birds"; and again, "In the midst of winter I have 

 met with it in the valleys of the Grampians, where no other small 

 birds were to be seen, unless a few tits and creepers." The same 

 writer also says that in the stomach of one he opened he found 

 " many small hard seeds, an entire pupa and elytra of coleopterous 

 insects." Surely a diet catholic enough to make starvation even in 

 cold weather a remote possibility ! 



In my own small garden there are always one or two wrens about 

 all the year. After a heavy fall of snow their favourite habitat is 

 an ivy-clad fence, surmounted with a tangle of honeysuckle and briar, 

 all of which stands out about a foot from the fence. However thick 

 the mantle of snow appears above this, there are always crevices by 

 means of which birds obtain access to the vegetation behind ; and upon 

 this there must be food in plenty, as well as shelter during severe 



