THE HATB1BD, OK WILLOW WREN. 409 



which is oval, and composed of moss and leaves, lined with 

 feathers, is usually placed under a bush. The female lays six 

 or seven white eggs, spotted with violet ; and the young birds, 

 of which those which have the yellowish plumage should be 

 chosen, may be reared on ants' eggs and bread and milk. 



In autumn these birds may be taken in nooses, baited with 

 elderberries. In spring it is a good plan to set limed twigs, 

 baited with meal worms, in the hedges ; and in summer it is 

 very frequently caught in the water trap. 



SWEET'S ACCOUNT. " An elegant little species, which visits us 

 about the middle of April, and leaves us again the latter end of 

 September, or beginning of October. In its wild state, it 

 feeds entirely on small insects, and chiefly on the different 

 species of aphis, but it will not refuse small flies or caterpil- 

 lars ; it is easily taken in a trap baited with small caterpil- 

 lars, or a rose branch covered with aphides ; and it will soon 

 become very tame in confinement. One that I caught in Sep- 

 tember, was, in three days afterwards, let out of its aviary into 

 the room to catch the flies, which were numerous at that season ; 

 after amusing itself for some time in catching flies, it began sing- 

 ing ; it did the same several other times when it was let out, and 

 hi a few days, it began to sing in its aviary. It soon became so 

 familiar, that it would take flies out of the hand, and when it was 

 out in the room, if a fly was held toward it, it would fly up and 

 take it out of the hand. It was also taught to drink milk out of 

 a tea-spoon, by putting some flies in it ; as soon as it had tasted 

 the milk, it was very fond of it, as most of the birds of this genus 

 are ; if the spoon was held towards it, and it was called Sylvia, 

 it would fly up and perch on the finger, or on the handle of the 

 spoon, and drink the milk, but it never got so tame as the next 

 species, neither was it so expert in catching flies ; perhaps, the 

 reason was, it became so very fat in eating so much bruised 

 hemp seed and bread, and milk and bread, that it cared but little 

 for any other food. 



" These birds are very plentiful some seasons, flying about from 

 tree to tree, and singing their pretty soft note, which is not un- 

 like the song of the Redbreast, but not so loud. Wherever any 

 plants are infested with any kind of aphis, there the Willow 

 Wrens are almost certain to be, often quarrelling, and flying 

 after one another ; and they will even attack other birds that are 

 much larger than themselves. 



" The Willow Wren seems to be more tender than the Sylvia 

 Hippolais, to which it is nearly related. When in confinement, 

 it is fond of creeping up to the other birds for the sake of their 



