THE WOOD WREN. 203 



top, of the same materials as those lying all around, so that it 

 is impossible to find it without Avatching one of the old ones to 

 the nest, which in general consists of six or seven young ones. 

 These may eitiier be brought up from the nest, or if an old one 

 be caught wild it is easily tamed. When first put in the cage 

 with a tame bird, the general food, bread and milk, and eggs, 

 should be stuck full of small flies, aphides, small caterpillars, 

 or other small insects, in picking out which it wall taste the 

 other food, and soon take to eat it readily, and will soon become 

 very tame in confinement. One that 1 caught in September 

 was, in three days afterwards, let out of the aviary into the 

 room to catch the flies, that w^ere numerous at that season. 

 After amusing itself for some time in catching flies, it began 

 singing ; and it did the same several other times when it w^as 

 let out, and in a few days began to sing in its aviary. It soon 

 became so familiar, that it would take flies out of the hand ; 

 and when out in the room, if a fly was held towards it, would 

 fly up, and take it immediately. 



Although the present species is so small a bird, it is very 

 courageous, being generally the master of the cage, and as it i3 

 so fine a songster, and almost continually m song, no little bird 

 can be more desirable in a cage with other birds ; its note, when 

 in full song, being so loud and shrill, that its voice is plainly 

 heard above the nightingale's when both are in full song. 



THE WOOD WREN. 



S jl^ia sibilatrix, BtCHSTEiN ; Le Bec-fin Siffleur, Temminck ; Der grOne Sanger, 

 Meyer. 



This bird remained long unnoticed as a distinct species, 

 from its resemblance to the hay-bird {Sylvia Trochilus), with 



