158 BIRDS THROUGH AN OPERA-GLASS. 



cracks and crannies where a fly might edge itself 

 into the moulding. Once he dropped a worm, 

 and you should have seen him come tumbling 

 down after it ! 



The nest of this brave little bird is snug and 

 warm, made of moss, lined with soft feathers, and 

 lodged " in crevices of dead logs or stumps in 

 thick, coniferous woods." What a pleasure it 

 would be to follow him north, and study all his 

 pretty ways in the dark forest home, where he 

 furnishes mirth and sunshine all the summer 

 through. 



The wren is found in pigeon-hole No. 10, 

 along with his cousins the thrasher and catbird. 

 " Wrens, thrashers, etc.," is on the door-plate 

 perhaps the catbird is left out because he always 

 takes pains to announce himself. All the house- 

 hold have long bills, and the catbird and thrasher 

 have also long tails, with very short wings , while 

 they all have a piquant way of perking up their 

 tails when startled. 



In contrast to the vireos, tanagers, and orioles, 

 these birds spend most of their time in shrubs or 

 bushes rather than in high trees. Different birds 

 take various levels stories in their out-of-doors 

 house. The sparrows and chewinks live in the 

 basement on the ground-floor; the wrens and 

 thrashers on the first floor in bushes and shrubs ; 

 the indigo-bird on the third floor low trees ; 

 the vireos and tanagers and orioles on the fourth 



