198 THE TAILOR-BIRD. 



For my own part, I believe that these partial nests have been made by Wrens when 

 building for the first time, and consequently inexperienced in the world and its difficulties. 

 They seem to fix too hastily upon a locality, and then to find, after they have made some 

 progress with their Ik i use, that danger lurks near, perhaps in the form of a weasel, a shrike, 

 or a snake. In one such instance of desertion the cause was sufficiently evident, for the head 

 of a snake was seen protruding from the opening of the nest. 



The materials of which the nest is composed are always leaves, moss, grass and lichens, 

 and it is almost always so neatly built that it can hardly be seen by one who was not previously 

 aware of its position. The opening of the nest is always at the side, so that the eggs are 

 securely shielded from the effects of weather. 



As to the locality and position in which the nest is placed, no definite rule is observed, 

 for the Wren is more capricious than the generality of birds in fixing upon a house for her 

 young. Wrens' nests have been found in branches, hedges, hay-ricks, water-spouts, hollow 

 trees, bains and outhouses. Sometimes the Wren becomes absolutely eccentric in its choice, 

 and builds its nest in spots which no one would conjecture that a bird would select. A Wren 

 has been to known to make its nest in the body of a dead hawk, which had been killed and 

 nailed to the side of a barn. Another Wren chose to make her house in the throat of a dead 

 calf, which had been hung upon a tree, and another of these curious little birds was seen to 

 build in the interior of a pump, gaining access to her eggs and young through the spout. 



The eggs of the Wren are very small, and are generally from six to eight in number. 



During the winter, the Wren generally shelters itself from the weather in the same nest 

 which it had inhabited during the breeding season, and in very cold seasons it is not an 

 uncommon event to find six or seven Wrens all huddled into a heap for the sake of warmth, 

 and presenting to the eye or hand of the spectator nothing but a shapeless mass of soft brown 

 feathers. 



In Mr. Thompson's natural history a curious anecdote is related, where a pair of fly- 

 catchers who had made a nest and laid three eggs were ousted by a party of young Wrens just 

 able to fly. The little birds had probably been ejected from home for the first time, and seeing 

 so comfortable a nest, had taken possession of it. I have often observed the same conduct in 

 many young canaries, for whenever afamily of the newly-fledged birds is turned out of the nest, 

 they generally wend their way to the home of some other female, and install themselves in 

 possession of her nest and eggs before she is aware of their intentions. 



The title of "Kitty Wren." which is often given to this bird, is owing to the peculiar 

 little twittering sound of Chit ! chit ! which it utters while engaged in the pursuit of food. 



The color of the Wren is a rich reddish -brown, paling considerably on the under surface 

 of the body, and darkening into dusky brown upon the quill-feathers of the wings and tail. 

 The outer webs of the former are sprinkled with reddish -brown spots, and the short tail- 

 feathers are barred with the same hue. The bill is slender, and rather long in proportion to 

 the general dimensions of the bird. The total length of the Wren is rather more than four 

 inches. White and pied varieties are not uncommon. 



We now arrive at the very large family of the Warbleks, a group in wduch the genera, 

 when taken together, number more members than those of any other family. The first sub- 

 family is that which is known by the name of the MalurincB, or soft-tailed Warblers. 



The first example of the soft-tailed Warblers is the celebrated Tailor-bird of India and 

 the Indian Archipelago. There are many species belonging to the genus Orthotomus, and as 

 they all possess similar habits, there is no need of describing more than the example which 

 has been shown. They are peculiar birds, haunting cultivated grounds, and being generally 

 seen in pairs on fields and in gardens. They dislike lofty elevations, and may generally be 

 seen near the ground, hopping about the lower branches of trees and shrubs in their search 

 after insects, and occasionally seeking their prey on the ground. Their flight is rapid but 

 undulating, after the manner of many short-winged and long-tailed birds. 



The Tailor-bird is a sober little creature, not more conspicuous than a common sparrow, 



