140 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



throated Tree-creeper, which, having secured an unusual prize — a 

 meal worm — was making a long task of killing it. Tree-creepers 

 do not seem as expert at such work as other birds, for a robin 

 would have finished it off in a few seconds. There were some 

 wrens about at the time, and one female seemed as much interested 

 as I was, and twice sidled close up to the tree-creeper, and 

 was rewarded with a couple of sharp pecks in order to make 

 it mindful of its own business. After watching the tree-creeper 

 for a few moments the wren made a sudden rush, and fairly 

 frightened the tree-creeper some inches away from its food, which 

 the wren quickly picked up and flew ofi" with. This was clearly a 

 feat of strategy, and happened on the heap of logs. My garden 

 male wren is becoming quite shrewd, for it does not now mistake 

 glass for space, as if surprised inside when I come home, it 

 makes a rush past me through the doorway, the result, I suppose, 

 of its having been caught in the window so often and examined, 

 I have a habit of feeding it and its family on a block by the 

 door, and a few crumbs of cheese are sufficient to bring them to 

 my feet. Last March I was using a kerosene tin to pick up 

 windfall apples. Standing it by the door, I very soon saw the 

 garden female wren come and perch on the edge of the tin, and 

 catch sight of a grub on the bottom, but how to get that grub was 

 the trouble. It leaned over and hopped round the edge of the 

 tin many times. It would like to go down to get that grub, 

 but it looked too risky ; happy thought — it would get down out- 

 side and get it. Down it went and hunted all round the tin and 

 seemed surprised it could not see the grub. Up again to the 

 edge, to see if it really was there. Yes, there it was, so down it 

 wert again and tried to insert its bill beneath the tin. Again it 

 hopped up and feasted on the sight for some little time, and 

 and then gave up the grub in despair. As enemies, the Nankeen 

 Kestrel during summer takes numbers of young, while the fox, 

 that terrible bird exterminator, plays havoc in the breeding 

 season, and the wren is lucky which does not have to rear a 

 second brood. As to at what age wrens start breeding I have 

 no certain knowledge, and the large number of wrens that during 

 spring and summer have no other occupation than that of 

 feeding themselves leads me to infer that the females do not 

 breed the first year. Male and female, when once mated, remain 

 so until accident or the advent of a stronger or more pugnacious 

 male causes a division. With regard to the proportion of males 

 to females in the brood, I have not as yet observed more than 

 one male in a brood of three. My garden wrens had the 

 unusual brood of four, but still only one male, but to be certain 

 of this point the families will require further watching." 



The results of our observations on the moulting of these two 

 species appear in full in the " Proceedings of the Royal Society 



