BIRDS OF FIELD AND GARDEN. 293 



the hope that wherever it still remains people may be induced 

 to provide tenements for it and protect it from the Sparrow, 

 and so assist it to increase in numbers. 



This sprightly little bird seeks the homes of man partly 

 because of the nesting places afforded by the hollow trees 

 of the orchard, and partly because of the number of insects 

 it finds about house, barn, orchard, and garden. Its pert 

 appearance, as it dashes about with short, upraised tail ; 

 its bubbling, ecstatic song ; its sharp, scolding notes, as it 

 creeps about the wood pile or berates the family cat, — 

 were once familiar sights and sounds, not only about the 

 farmhouse, but even in city yards and gardens, for, until the 

 Sparrow came, the Wren was in many localities a common 

 village and city bird. A valiant little warrior, it is well 

 able to protect its young against the intrusion of other small 

 native birds, and has even been known to defend its home 

 successfully against the dreaded cat ; but it has given ground 

 before the Sparrow mob, and is now rarely seen in the 

 cities. The few individuals now left nest mainly in remote 

 orchards. 



Its alarm note is a sharp chirp, but its song is an inde- 

 scribable burst of melody. It bubbles forth as if the bird 

 were too full of joyous music to express it properly, for the 

 sweet and pent-up notes seem to crowd each other in the 

 attempt to escape from longer confinement. In this respect 

 the music is much like that of the Bobolink, but it is entirely 

 different in quality. In spring the males sing a large part 

 of the time. 



The Wren is one of the most active of birds, and when its 

 large and growing family is in the nest it is almost continu- 

 ally occupied in searching the shrubbery, orchard, wood pile, 

 fence, or wall, as well as the vegetables in the garden, for 

 insects. Nest building gives scope to its feverish industry, 

 and a single pair will sometimes build two or three nests at 

 almost the same time, if they can find convenient receptacles 

 for them. 



It is almost entirely beneficial in its food habits. Pro- 

 fessor Beal finds that ninety-eight per cent, of its sustenance 

 consists of animal matter, composed of insects and their allies, 



