130 



HOUSE WREN. 



feathers. The eggs are six or seven, and sometimes nine, of a red 

 pm-plish flesh ♦eolor, innumerable fine grains of that tint being 

 thickly sprinkled over the whole egg. They generally raise two 

 brood in a season ; the first about the beginning of June, the se- 

 cond in July. 



This little bird has a strong antipathy to cats ; for having fre- 

 quent occasion to glean among the currant bushes, and other shrub- 

 bery in the garden, those lurking enemies of the feathered race 

 often prove fatal to him. A box fixed up in the window of the 

 room where I slept, was taken possession of by a pair of Wrens. 

 Already the nest was built, and two eggs laid, when one day the 

 window being open, as well as the room door, the female Wren 

 venturing too far into the room to reconnoitre, was sprung upon 

 by grimalkin, who had planted herself there for the purpose ; and 

 before relief could be given was destroyed. Curious to see how 

 the survivor would demean himself, I watched him carefully for 

 several days. At first he sung with great vivacity for an hour or 

 so, but becoming uneasy, went off for half an hour; on his return 

 he chanted again as before, went to the top of the house, stable, 

 and weeping willow, that she might hear him; but seeing no ap- 

 pearance of her, he returned once more, visited the nest, ventured 

 cautiously into the window, gazed about with suspicious looks, his 

 voice sinking to a low melancholy note as he stretched his little 

 neck about in every direction. Returning to the box he seemed 

 for some minutes at a loss what to do, and soon after went off, as 

 I thought, altogether, for I saw him no more that day. Towards 

 the afternoon of the second day, he again made his appearance, ac- 

 companied with a new female, who seemed exceedingly timorous 

 and shy; and who after great hesitation entered the box; at this 

 moment the little widower or bridegroom, seemed as if he would 

 warble out his very life with ecstasy of joy. After remaining about 

 half a minute in, they both flew^ off, but returned in a few minutes 

 and instantly began to carry out the eggs, feathers, and some of the 



