ROUSE WREN. 
Troglodytes aédon VIEILLOT. 
Be HO OF MY readers is not acquainted with the Housr Wren, the active little 
MN bird, whose movements of mouse-like rapidity around door yards and gardens 
are so familiar? The Germans call it Zaunkénig (Hedge Kinglet), and the French know 
it by the similar name of Troglodyte or Roitelet (Kinglet). Its favorite resorts are 
fences, old block-houses and barns, brush and wood-piles, stables, and particularly the 
low shrubbery in gardens, etc. Fearlessly the bird hops and creeps about—every now 
and then stopping and elevating its body—appears on a post or on a wood-pile, over- 
looking its small domain, twitters its song with a powerful voice, and with an 
incredible celerity vanishes among the shrubs or fence rails or in an old building. The 
House Wren is one of our best known birds, prevailing, during the breeding season, in 
the North and frequenting as a winter sojourner the South. 
It ranges from the Atlantic west to the Mississippi valley, being a common 
summer resident of the Northern and Eastern States and southern Canada. Authorities 
as to how far south it breeds seem to differ*, though there can be no doubt that it 
breeds abundantly in and near St. Louis. In the famous Botanical Gardens of that 
city (better known as Shaw’s Garden), I have heard its song in June from all sides. 
Mr. Ridgway, on the contrary, has not found it in summer in southern Illinois, where 
Bewick’s Wren takes its place. From the Mississippi valley west to the Pacific, it is 
replaced by Parkman’s House Wren, a scarcely distinét variety. Not everywhere within 
their breeding range are the House Wrens equally abundant. In some parts we may 
find them in considerable numbers every year, while in others they are never seen. The 
local distribution is thus fortuitous. 
These sprightly, vivacious tenants of the outbuildings and the shrubbery, wher- 
ever found, are true companions of man. Formerly the underwood and fallen logs, the 
cracks of rocks, the roots of prostrated trees, the tangled vines in woods and forests 
were their natural resorts. These localities they readily relinquished for the facilities 
offered in the society of man. As soon as the pioneer of civilization settles in the back- 
woods, this Wren is one of the first birds to seek his friendship. In Wisconsin, where 
in many places it is one of the boldest and most sociable and confiding birds, I have 
never found it in woods uninhabited by man. 
Though very confiding in the surroundings of friendly people, it is, nevertheless, 
always very cautious. At a reasonable distance, it exhibits great courage, but when 
real danger threatens it becomes easily frightened, concealing itself with wonderful 
quickness in some secluded spot. Almost every country child knows this always happy 
pigmy, and every farmer who is in sympathy with the attractions of nature loves this 
sprightly little creature.—Restlessly it searches every nook, every corner for spiders and 
* Prof. J. A. Allen, in his work on the ‘Mammals and Winter Birds of East Florida,” says that this Wren is 
known to be a resident there throughout the year. 
