THE SINGING BIRDS. 27 1 



" It is remarkable,'' says Montague, " how the materials of the Wren's nest are generally adapted 

 to the place : if built against the side of a hayrick, it is composed of hay ; if against a tree covered 

 with white moss, it is made of that material ; and with green moss if against a tree covered with the 

 same ; thus instinct directs it for security." Mr. Jesse mentions that he possessed a nest " built 

 amongst some litter thrown into a yard, which so nearly resembled the surrounding objects that it was 

 only discovered by the birds flying out of it. Some of the straws that composed it were so thick 

 that one wondered how so small a bird could have used them." A correspondent in the Magazine 

 of Natural History says : — " In watching a pair of Wrens building their nest in an old road, 

 I noticed that one confined itself entirely to the construction of the nest, which it never left for a 

 moment, whilst the other was as incessantly passing and repassing with materials for the structure. 

 These materials, however, this helper never once attempted to put into their places ; they were always 

 regularly delivered to the principal architect employed in constructing the building." 



" I was not aware," says Mr. Weir, " it had been taken notice of by any naturalist that the 

 European Wrens, or at least some of this species, take possession of their nests as places of repose 

 during the severity of winter, until I perused a very interesting account of the habits of these little 

 birds by Neville Wood, Esq., who says, ' Whether the nests in which one or two broods had been 

 reared in the summer are tenanted every night throughout the winter by the old or. the young birds is 

 a question more curious than easy to determine, on account of the difficulty, almost impracticability, 

 of catching the birds at night. This I have repeatedly endeavoured to effect without success. I am 

 happy to say that, after much trouble, I have so far succeeded in determining this curious question. 

 About nine o'clock of the evening of the 7th of March, in one of their nests which was built in a 

 hole in an old wall, I caught the male and female, and three of the brood. The other four of the 

 young birds which were also in the nest, made their escape. They were the AVrens I mentioned 

 formerly as having occupied the two nests which wanted the lining of feathers.' " 



" I know not," says Macgillivray, " a more pleasant object to look at than the Wren ; it is 

 always so smart and cheerful — to it all weathers are alike. The big drops of a thunder shower no 

 more wet it than the drizzle of a Scotch mist ; and, as it peeps from beneath a bramble, or glances 

 from a hole in the wall, it seems as snug as a kitten frisking on the parlour rug." 



" It is amusing," continues this writer, " to watch the motions of a young family of Wrens just 

 come abroad. Walking among furze, or broom, or juniper, you are attracted to some bush by hearing 

 issue from it a lively and frequent repetition of a sound which most resembles the syllable '"Chit.'' 

 On going up you perceive an old Wren flitting about the twigs, and presently a young one flies off, 

 uttering a stifled ' Chirr,' while the parents continue to flutter about, uttering their loud ' Chit ! chit ! 

 chit !' with indications of varied degrees of excitement." 



The Wren produces two broods in the course of the year, the first in April, the second in July. 

 The eggs, from six to eight in number, are large and round, of a pure white or yellowish white, 

 delicately spotted with reddish brown or blood-red, these latter markings often taking the form of 

 a wreath at the broad end. The male and female brood alternately for thirteen days, and cleanse the 

 nest and feed their hungry family with great assiduity. The young remain for a considerable time 

 with their parents, and generally return to pass the night in their old homes for some time after they 

 are fully fledged. Although largely insectivorous, these hardy little birds are enabled to brave the 

 severest winters, not only of our own climate but of still more northern regions. They are not 

 uncommon in Zetland, where their sweet notes serve greatly to enliven the dreary landscape. 



The MARSH WRENS (Thryoihorus) are a group of American species, distinguished from other 

 members of the family by their comparatively long, thin, and slightly-curved beaks. 



