CLASS II. AVES: ORDER 2. PASSERES. 



Ill 





THE GREAT CAROLINA WREN. 



THE COMMON KUROPBAN WREN. 



THE TKOGLODYTIN^ OR WRENS. 



This family includes a number of small, lively, familiar birds, some of tliem living around the 

 habitations of man, and feeding upon insects and seeds. 



Genus TROGLODYTES : Troglodytes. — Tliis includes several species: the Common Wren of 

 Europe — Roytelet of the French; Fiorracino of the Italians; Cutty, Katy, or Kitty-Wren of the 

 i English — T. Ua7-o]xrus, is an active, lively little bird, and appears, in Europe, to share with the robin 

 in the affections of the country people. It frequents hedges, gardens, and bushy places, flitting 

 fro:n busli to bush with a direct flight, and feeding principally upon insects of various kinds, and 

 also occasionally upon seeds and fruits. In spring and summer the male has a very sweet song, 

 which is exceedingly loud and rich, especially when we consider the smallness of the pipe pro- 

 ducing it. These birds are very familiar, and seek to be near the habitations of man, although 

 they do not exhibit the same degree of confidence as the robin, but generally conceal tliemselves 

 very quickly when approached too closely. Nevertheless, in the winter, when cold weather ren- 

 ders it somewhat diflScult to keep up the vital heat in such a diminutive body, these birds often 

 roost in cow-houses, for the sake of the warmth generated by the cattle. Most of them, however, 

 shelter themselves in holes at this season, roosting in considerable numbers together, so as to keep 

 up the heat by close packing. For the same purpose they often frequent their nests of the pre- 

 ceding summer; and it has even been said by some authors that the male occupies himself while 

 the female is sitting, with preparing several nests, to aff"ord shelter to the brood in the coming 

 winter. 



The wrens pair about the middle of the spring, and early in April commence the construction 

 of their nests. These are placed in very various situations, but principally in holes and crevices 

 in walls, banks and trees, and also in thatched roofs, amongst climbing plants, or even on the 

 branch of a tree. They are made of various materials and lined with feathers : the number of 

 eggs is seven to twelve. It is calculated that these birds bring food to their young ones two hun- 

 dred and seventy-eight times in a day, with an insect each time. They produce two broods 

 in a season. This species is common throughout Europe, and permanent in France and England 

 and the contiguous countries. 



The American House-Wren, T. cedon, or T. fidims, is migratory in the United States, 

 arriving from the South early in May. It is brown, banded with dusky ; its length is about 

 four inches ; it builds its nest sometimes in the wooden cornice under the eaves, or in a hollow 



