HOUSE WREN. 



133 



or seven, and sometimes nine, of a red purplish flesh colour, 

 innumerable fine grains of that tint being thickly sprinkled 

 over the whole egg. They generally raise two broods in a 

 season ; the first about the beginning of June, the second in 

 July.* 



* The wrens figured on this plate, and indeed all those of this nor- 

 thern continent, seem to be great favourites with the country people, to 

 which distinction their utility in gardens in destroying caterpillars and 

 noxious insects, their sprightly social manner, with their clean and neat 

 appearance, fully entitle them. They form the genus Troglodytes of 

 moderns, are limited in numbers, but distributed over Europe, America, 

 and Africa ; their habits are nearly alike, and the colours of the plumage 

 are so similar, that some species are with difficulty distinguished from 

 each other ; and both those now figured have been confounded with that 

 of this country, from which, however, the first differs, and the latter is 

 still doubtful. The colours of the plumage are brown, with bars and 

 crossings of darker shades, intermingled occasionally with spots and 

 irregular blotches of yellowish white. They make very commodious 

 nests, with a single entrance ; all those with which we are acquainted 

 are very prolific, breed more than once in the year, and lay at a time 

 from twelve to sixteen eggs ; th^ey are always to be met with, but never 

 in such profusion as their numerous broods would lead us to infer if all 

 arrived at maturity. That of this country, though not so tame as to 

 make use of a ready-made convenient breeding-place, is extremely fami- 

 liar, and will build close by a window, or above a door, where there is 

 a constant thoroughfare. It roosts, during the night, in holes of banks 

 ricks, or in the eaves of thatched houses, and generally seven or eight 

 individuals will occupy one hole, flitting about, and disputing, as it -were, 

 which should enter first. These are beautiful provisions for their wel- 

 fare, and the proportion of animal heat possessed necessarily by so small 

 a bulk. Another curious particular in the economy of these little birds, 

 is the many useless nests which are built, or, as they are sometimes 

 called by boys, cock nests. These are never built so carefully, or in such 

 private and recluse situations, as those intended for incubation, and are 

 even sometimes left in an unfinished half-built state. I have never been 

 able to satisfy myself whether they were the work of the male bird only, 

 or of both conjointly ; or to ascertain their use, whether really com- 

 menced with the view of breeding in them, or for roosting-places. The 

 generally exposed situation in which they are placed, with the concealed 

 spot chosen for those that have young, would argue against the former 

 and the latter would, perhaps, require a greater reasoning power than 

 most people would be willing to grant to this animal. They may, per- 

 haps, be the first instinctive efforts of the young. Notwithstanding their 



