198 WINTER WEEN 



you on top of a stump in the woods. It is such 

 a friendly, jolly little bird that you are won by 

 its confidence ; but when you come to hear it sing, 

 you are stirred by deeper emotions. The song is 

 a marvel from such a little bird, 

 for it is loud, rich, and melo- 

 dious. 



Along the banks of the Hud- 

 son, Doctor Mearns has found 



the Wrens running about under 

 FIG. 124. tlie ice when the water had 



Winter Wren. . 



settled away, "creeping into 

 every nook and crevice in search of food, some- 

 times remaining out of sight for many minutes 

 together," for their food is well hidden, insects 

 and larvae being the chief of their diet. 



The Wrens nest mainly in the northern forests, 

 so may be seen and heard by favored Adirondack 

 tourists. Their nest is an interesting mossy one 

 lined with feathers, those of the Ruffed Grouse 

 among the number, Mr. Burroughs tells us. Their 

 eggs are white, dotted with reddish brown, and 

 the nestlings that come out of them become be- 

 witching, bobby little scraps. 



