758 



SYLVIA. 



From Wilson's account, and we can have none 

 more accurate, it sliould seem that the winter wren of 

 America is a smaller bird than the common wren of 

 Europe, though the colour?, and all the other particu- 

 lars, are eo nearly the same as to leave but little doubt 

 as to the identity of the species. It is, however, much 

 more of a migrant, and does not breed in the central 

 states ; but that is nothing, as all birds are more mi- 

 grant in America than Europe. The account of its 

 winter habits, which we shall give in Wilson's own 

 words, would answer equally well for our wren. 

 " During his residence here, he frequents the project- 

 ing banks of creeks, old roots, decayed logs, small 

 bushes, and rushes near watery places ; he even ap- 

 proaches the farm house, rambles about the wood hill, 

 creeping among the interstices like a mouse. With 

 tail erect, which is his constant habit, mounted on 

 some projecting point or pinnacle, he sings with great 

 animation. Even in the yards, gardens, and outhouses 

 of the city, he appears familiar and quite at home." 

 According to the same authority, the dimensions are 

 smaller than those of the European wren, but the 

 colours are exactly the same. 



Home Wren, or summer Wren (T. cedoii). This is 

 the American species which alternates with the for- 

 mer, corning when it returns in the spring, and retiring 

 when it comes in the autumn. It arrives in Pennsyl- 

 vania in April, and rarely tarries so late as October. 

 It is larger than the winter wren, and different in 

 colour. The length u four inches and a half, and the 

 extent of the wings five and three quarters. The 

 upper part is deep brown, clearer in the tint than that 

 on the other species ; but clouded in the same way 

 with transverse markings of dusky black, except upon 

 the head and neck. The cheeks, throat and breast, 

 and also the legs and feet, are clay colour ; the under 

 part is spotted with black, brown and white, though 

 these colours do not appear unless the feathers are 

 ruffled. The bill is slightly bent and black, having 

 some resemblance to the bills of the creepers. Both 

 sexes are nearly alike in their plumage. 



In Pennsylvania, and the other central states of 

 America, this is a very familiar bird, and one which 

 finds favour in the eyes of the people, from the vast 

 number of insects which it destroys. It builds in 

 hollow trees, or under the projecting eaves of houses, 

 but the people often erect boxes on the tops of poles 

 for its accommodation. These are in or near the 

 garden, in order that the birds may more successfully 

 carry on the war against the caterpillars. " If," says 

 the grand historian of the birds of the United States, 

 " all these conveniences are wanting, he will even put 

 up with an old hat nailed to the weather boards, with 

 a small hole for entrance ; and, if even this be denied 

 him, he will find some hole, corner, or crevice about 

 the house, barn, or stable, rather than abandon the 

 dwellings of man. In the month of June, a man 

 hung his coat under a shed, near the barn ; two or 

 three days elapsed before he had occasion to put it 

 on again ; thrusting his arm up the sleeve, he found 

 it completely filled with rubbish, as he expressed it, 

 and on extricating the whole mass, found it to be the 

 nest of a wren completely finished, and lined with a 

 large quantity of feathers. In his retreat, he was fol 

 lowed by the little forlorn proprietors, who scolded 

 him with great vehemence, tor thus ruining the whole 

 economy of their domestic affairs. The twigs with 

 which the outward parts of the nest are constructed 

 are stout and crooked, that they may better hook into 



one another, and the hole or entrance is so much shut 

 up to prevent the intrusion of snakes or cats, that it 

 ippears almost impossible that the body of the bird 

 could be admitted. Within this, is a layer of fine 

 dead stalks of grass, and lastly feathers." 



An anecdote of Wilson's with regard to this spe- 

 cies is so interesting and so well told, that we cannot 

 resist the temptation of quoting it. " This little bird 

 las a strong antipathy to cats ; for, having frequent 

 occasion to glean among the currant bushes, and 

 other shrubbery in the gardens, these lurking enemies 

 of the feathered race often prove fatal to him. A box . 

 fixed upon the window of the room where I slept, was 

 taken possession of by a pair of wrens. Already the 

 nest was built, and two eggs laid, when one day, the 

 window being open, as well as the room door, the fe- 

 male wren, venturing too far into the room to recon- 

 noitre, was sprung upon by Grimalkin, w ho had planted 

 herself there for the purpose ; and, before relief could 

 be given, was destroyed. Curious to see how the 

 survivor would demean himself, 1 watched him care- 

 fully for several days. At first he sung with great 

 vivacity for an hour or so, but, becoming uneasy, went 

 off for half an hour; on his return, he chanted again 

 as before, went to the top of the house, stable, and 

 weeping willow, that she might hear him ; but seeing 

 no appearance of her, he returned once more, visited 

 the nest, ventured cautiously into the window, gazed 

 about with suspicious looks, his voice sinking to a low 

 melancholy note, as he stretched his little neck about 

 in every direction. Returning to the box, he seemed 

 for some minutes at a loss what to do, and soon after 

 went off, as I thought, altogether, for I saw no more of 

 him that day. Towards the afternoon of the second day, 

 he again made his appearance, accompanied by anew 

 female, who seemed exceedingly timorous and shy, 

 and who, alter great hesitation, entered the box ; at 

 this moment the little widower or bridegroom seemed 

 as if he would warble out his very life with ecstasy of 

 joy. After remaining about half a minute in, they 

 both flew off; but returned in a tew minutes, and in- 

 stantly began to carry out the eggs, feathers, and some 

 of the sticks, supplying the place of the two latter 

 with materials of the same sort ; and ultimately suc- 

 ceeded in raising a brood of seven young, all of which 

 escaped in safety." 



The above, of the perfect truth of which there can- 

 not be the least question, is one of the most curious in 

 the whole history of animals of whateverclass they may 

 be ; and if one was to build a theory of the reasoning 

 powers of animals, perhaps there is no better founda- 

 tion on w hich it could be erected ; but we have 

 neither room nor inclination for such theories ; and 

 therefore, we shall leave the reader to draw from the 

 account, of the correctness of which there can be no 

 doubt, whatever conclusion may be the most agree- 

 able to himself ; meanwhile we proceed with our notice 

 of the bird, as with that of all other irrational animals. 

 We cannot resist quoting a little more of the account 

 of this highly interesting bird, in the description of 

 which Wilson is peculiarly happy. " The immense 

 number of insects which this sociable little bird re- 

 moves from the garden and fruit trees ought to endear 

 him to every cultivator, even if he had nothing else 

 to recommend him ; but his notes, loud, sprightly, 

 tremulous, and repeated every few seconds with great 

 animation, are extremely agreeable. In the heat of 

 summer, families often dine under the piazza, adjoin- 

 ing greeu canopies of mantling grape-vines, gourds, 



