THE COMMON EUROPEAN WKEN. 381 



They feed principally upon insects anil their larvas and eggs, and occasion- 

 ally eat a few seeds. Our house, winter, long-billed, and short-billed wrens 

 are familiar exan)])les. 



The Common ^\ ren ( Tr(i(jl<i<hjtcs I^nropa'ii.'i) of Europe is spread over 

 the whole continent, and is e\erywliere noted for its funiliarity and its 

 sprightly liabits. In England it is very common, and braves the severity 

 of the winter, flitting from s[)ray to spray, and traversing the hedge-rows 

 with restless acti\ity. Its actions are \ery smart. It takes short ilights, 

 alights on a twig towards the l)ottoni of the hedge, flirts up its short tail, 

 utters a cry like clilt-cliit, and disa[)pears in the maze of branches like a 

 mouse, passes out on the other side, and repeats its flight. In the depth 

 of winter it freipients firm-j'ards, cow-sheds, and similar places, both for 

 the sake of shelter and fjod. Tlie song of this species is varied and pleas- 

 ing, and for the size of the binl remarkably loud and clear. This, wc 

 would remark in passing, is true of our own wrens, and we have heard in 

 northern ]\Iaine the AVinter AVreu's song, so singidarly sweet and clear that 

 at the time we believed it imexcellcd. 



The European Wren begins to pre[)are its nest in ^larch, and various are 

 the places chosen as a site ; sometimes under the thatched covering of an 

 out-house, sometimes in a niclie or ca\ity iu tiie branches of a tree, often 

 amidst the i\y co\ering aged walls or trees, or the side of a hayrick. It is 

 a domed structure, with a small lateral aperture. Generally it consists ex- 

 ternally of green moss ; but it varies the material according to situation and 

 the color of the objects around. The eggs arc usually from six to eight in 

 number, of a yellowish-white, sprinkled, especially at the larger end, with 

 reddish-brown. It is a ciu'ious fact that the birds of this group often make 

 several nests besides the one occu[iied lor incubation. Many conjectures 

 have been made concerning this habit. Some attributing the extra nests to 

 caprice in regard to the merits nt oach ; others to interruption, from some 

 cause, in the work of building ; while many believe that the incomplete 

 structures are the work of the male bird, who employs his time, and amuses 

 himself in their preparation, while the female is attending to the duties of 

 incubation. 



The European Wren and its habits are thus mentioned by an English 

 writer: "A pair of wrens Ijuilt their nest in a box, so situated that the fam- 

 ily owning the grounds had an opjjortunity of observing the mother's care in 

 instructing her young ones to sing. .She seated lierself on one side of the 

 opening of the box, facing her yyung, and commenced by singing over all 

 lier notes very slow and distinctly. One of the little ones then attempted to 

 imitate her. After chirping rather inharmoniously a few notes, its pipe 

 failed, and it went oflf the tune. The mother immediately took up the time 



