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Genus — Troglodytes. House Wrens. 



721. House Wren. pr. — le troglodyte a£don. Troglodyte aedon. L, 5. 

 Plate XLV B. 



Distinctions. This is the commonest Wren of southern Canada. The even wood- 

 brown back, throat and breast tinged with lighter brown; the almost white underparts; 

 and the barring confined to the flanks will separate it from other native Wrens. 



Field Marks. The light underparts and longer tail will separate the House from the 

 Winter Wren, and the even brown colour of the back and its habitat, from either of the 

 Marsh Wrens. 



Nesting. In a hole in a tree, bird box, or similar places, in a nest of twigs, lined 

 with grasses, feathers, etc. The House Wren will occupy any kind of a bird house that 

 is suitably placed. The English Sparrow can be kept away by making the entrance hole 

 small; a one-inch auger hole is sufficient for a Wren and will bar the Sparrows entirely. 



Distribution. As a species, all United States and Canada north to the edges of settle- 

 ment. The eastern or type form, the Eastern House Wren, inhabits from the Great Lakes 

 eastward. 



SUBSPECIES. The House Wren is divided into eastern and western subspecies, 

 of which the former, the Eastern House Wren, is the type. 



The House Wren is a most attractive bird about a garden; it steals 

 around, under, and over everything; not a crack nor a crevice in the fence 

 escapes its fine investigative bill and hardly a leaf stalk but at one time 

 or another is carefully examined for insects. It has been charged with 

 piercing and destroying the eggs of other species nesting in its immediate 

 vicinity and undoubtedly sometimes does so, but the damage done in this 

 way is probably an individual habit and perhaps not sufficient to warrant 

 the taking of any very drastic preventive measures against the species as 

 a whole. 



Economic Status. As the food of the House Wren consists almost if not 

 entirely of insects nothing can be said against it in that direction. Its small 

 size causes it to deal with minute insects that are beneath the notice of 

 larger birds and so it often controls pests before they are large enough to do 

 damage or be attractive to other birds. 



Genus — Nannus. Winter Wrens. 



722. Winter Wren. fr. — le troglodyte d'hiver. Nannus hiemalis. L, 4-06. 

 Of typical wren-like build and coloration. Much like the House Wren but smaller and 

 darker below and more or less finely barred across the abdomen. 



Distinctions. The complete barring below is distinctive of this species. 



Field Marks. A small, very dark Wren with a short tail; found in dense woods. 



Nesting. In roots of a tree or a brush heap or in side of mossy log in nest of small 

 twigs and moss lined with feathers. 



Distribution. As a species, all of North America to tree limits; breeding throughout 

 Canada in the coniferous woods except in the more southern sections. 



SUBSPECIES. The Winter Wren, distributed over most of the continent, is 

 divided into a number of geographical races or subspecies of which the type form, the 

 Eastern Winter Wren, is the only one that comes within our geographical limits. 



Only a migrant within most of the more southern sections of Canada, 

 this bird breeds commonly in the cool deep forest. Its song is nearly enough 

 in spirit and character like that of the House Wren for the recognition of its 

 relationship but has a fuller and richer quality and purer tone. Heard 

 in the quiet of the still forest it has a wild woodland beauty possessed 

 by no other native species. 



28587— 15J 



