150 



NORTH AMERICAN RnU)S. 



Troi^tniliitrs rl''lnn. 



tiiR't species, the flillen-iices in plmiiiige heiiii^' very slijilit, iiiid in lialiits, 

 nest, iinil e,L;^s ii<it iipiirecialile, tliiiii<;li Dr. < ooju'r tliiiiks there is u diller- 

 enco ill their soii^. Another nice or ii closi'ly allied species, T. if~liri(K, is 

 t'oiiiid in Mexico, near tiie Ixtrders of the United States, hut does not have 

 fill extended ran^e. It is round in the winter in (liiateinala. 



This species does not apjiear to lie i'ouiid lieyond the southwestern jiortion 

 of Maine and the southern portions of New Hampshire and \'ernioiit. It 

 iiiakes its first apjiearance in Washinjiton early in A])ril, and for a while is 



very altiindant, visiting very fainiliar- 

 iy the jiiil'lic yroiinds of the capitol, 

 private <>ardeii8, out-lmildings, and the 

 eaves of dwellin.ns. It does not ap- 

 pear in the New JMiylaiid States until 

 after thi' first \\'eck in ^Fay, and leaves 

 for the South ahout the last of Sep- 

 teiiilier. It is not observed in any 

 portion of the I'liited Slates after the 

 first of Xoveniber. 



The hollows of decayiiif^ trees, crev- 

 ices in rocks, or the centre of meshes 

 of interlacinj,' vines, are their natural 

 resorts. These they readily relin()uish 

 for the facilities ofl'ereil in the .stM'iety 

 of man. They are liold, sociable, contidiiij; birds, and will enter into the 

 closest relations with tlio.se who cultivate their aci|uaiiitance, biiildiiiji 

 their nests from ]irefereiice under the eaves of houses, in corners of the 

 wood-shed, a clothes-line liox, olive-jars, martin-lioxes, open ji'oiirds, an 

 old hat, thi^ skull of an ox placed on a pole, the )iocket of a <'ariia,uc, 

 or even the sleeve of an old coat left hanging- in an oiit-buildint,'. in the 

 spriiif; of IH.").""! a pair of these Wrens nested within the house and over 

 the dooi' of tlic room of the late llohert !\ennic<itt, where they raised 

 their liroods in .safety. They iaiilt a second nest on a shelf in the .same 

 room, which they entered throiiLili a knot-hole in the iinceiled wall. At 

 first shy, tiicy soon became (|uite tame, and did not regard the presence 

 of members of tht! family. Tlu' male bird was more siiy than his mate, 

 and though ci|iially indiwtrious in collecting insects would rarely iuiiig 

 tliein nearer tliaii the knot-hole, where the female would receive them. 



The female ^ith her br I was destroyed l)y a cat, but this did not deter 



the male bird from appearing the following season wiili another male ami 

 building llieir nest in tlie same place. Aiiolher insiance of a singular selec- 

 tion of a breeding-place has been given iiy the .same authority. Dr. Keiini- 

 cott, the father of ilobeit, a c(aintry physician, drove an old twip-wheeh'd 

 o]ien gig, in the baik of which was a box, a foot in length liv three inches 

 in width, open at the lop. In this a jiair of Wrens insi- ted, limi' alter time, 



