78 HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS. 
they enliven by their cheerful presence, and often fill 
with a wild, sweet melody. _ 
The family is very generally distributed throughout 
the old and new world, and although less numerous 
here than in many parts of Europe, in America alone 
there are said to be upwards of one hundred species, 
most of them, however, found only in Central and South 
America. In the United States we have less than a 
score of well-known species, and only five or six of these 
are numerous in the Middle and Eastern States. 
The most abundant of these, and the most useful, is 
the house wren (Zroglodytes wdon). This interesting 
little character, familiar and domestic in his habits, 
stands second among the wrens as a vocalist, only the 
winter wren surpassing it in vivacity and sweetness of 
song. 
He is too well known to need an extended description 
of personal appearance, having the typical characteris- 
tics of the family; a rich plumage of dark ground 
work marked with waves and crossbars, small slender 
bill, short rounded wings, and tail jauntily elevated like 
that of the bantam, giving his whole appearance an air 
of comical pertness and daring, corresponding well with 
his saucy, scolding, chattering ways. He often makes 
his appearance in this latitude early in April, and con- 
tinues in song till August, singing at intervals from 
early morning till dusk. His song is noted for its 
gushing volubility and rapidity of utterance. The song 
is so joyful and cheerful, poured out with such hearti- 
ness that one never wearies of the oft-repeated strain 
