HOUSE WREN. 429 



caught it, held it in my hand, and finished its likeness, after which I re- 

 stored it to liberty. This, however, made it more cautious, and it never 

 again ventured within the window, although it sang and looked at us as 

 at first. It is it which you see placed on the hat. 



The antipathy which the House Wren shews to cats is extreme. 

 Although it does not attack puss, it follows and scolds her until she is 

 out of sight. In the same manner, it makes war on the Martin, the Blue 

 Bird and the House Swallow, the nest of any of which it does not scru- 

 ple to appropriate to itself, whenever occasion offers. Its own nest is 

 formed of dry crooked twigs, so interwoven as scarcely to admit entrance 

 to any other bird. Within this outer frame-work grasses are arranged in 

 a circular manner, and the whole is warmly lined with feathers and other 

 equally soft materials. The eggs are five or six, of a regularly oval form, 

 and uniform pale reddish colour. Two broods are raised in the season. 



The male seems to delight in attempting to surpass in vocal powers 

 others of his species, during the time of incubation ; and is frequently 

 seen within sight of another, straining his little throat, and gently turn- 

 ing his body from side to side, as if pivoted on the upper joints of his 

 legs. For a moment he conceives the musical powers of his rival supe- 

 rior to his own, and darts towards him, when a battle ensues, which over, 

 he immediately resumes his song, whether he has been the conqueror or 

 not. 



When the young issue from the nest, it is interesting to see them fol- 

 low the parents amongst the currant bushes in the gardens, like so many 

 mice, hopping from twig to twig, throwing their tail upwards, and put- 

 ting their bodies into a hundred different positions, all studied from the 

 parents, whilst the latter are heard scolding, even without cause, but as if 

 to prevent the approach of enemies, so anxious are they for the safety of 

 their progeny. They leave Pennsylvania about the 1st of October. 



Troglodytes jehos, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the tJnited States, p. 92. 

 House Wren, Sylvia domestica, Wils. Amer. Omith. voL i. p. 129, PL 8, fig. 3. 



Adult Male. Plate LXXXIII. Fig. 1. 



Bill of ordinary length, nearly straight, slender, acute, subtrigonal at 

 the base, compressed towards the tip ; upper mandible with the ridge ob- 

 tuse, the sides convex towards the end, concave at the base, the edges 



