HOUSE WREN. 



131 



sticks, supplying the place of the two latter with materials of the 

 same sort; and ultimately succeeded in raising a brood of seven 

 young, all of which escaped in safety. 



The immense number of insects which this sociable little bird 

 removes from the garden and fruit trees, ought to endear him to 

 every cultivator, even if he had nothing else to recommend him; 

 but his notes, loud, sprightly, tremulous, and repeated every few 

 seconds with great animation, are extremely agreeable. In the 

 heat of summer, families in the country often dine under the piaz- 

 za, adjoining green canopies of mantling grape vinesj gourds, &c. 

 while overhead the trilling vivacity of the Wren, mingled with the 

 warbling mimicry of the Mocking-bird, and the distant softened 

 sounds of numerous other songsters that we shall hereafter intro- 

 duce to the reader's acquaintance, form a soul-soothing and almost 

 heavenly music, breathing peace, innocence and rural repose. The 

 European who judges of the song of this species by that of his 

 own Wren (M. troglodytes), will do injustice to the former, as in 

 strength of tone, and execution^ it is far superior, as well as the bird 

 is in size, figure and elegance of markings, to the European one. 

 Its manners are also different ; its sociability greater* It is no im- 

 derground inhabitant; its nest is differently constructed, the num- 

 ber of its eggs fewer; it is also migratory; and has the tail and 

 / bill much longer. Its food is insects and caterpillars, and while 



supplying the wants of its young it destroys, on a moderate calcu- 

 lation many hundreds a day, and greatly circumscribes the ravages 

 of these vermin. It is a bold and insolent bird against those of the 

 Titmouse of Woodpecker kind that venture to build within its ju- 

 risdiction ; attacking them without hesitation, tho twice its size, and 

 generally forcing them to decamp. I have known him drive a pair 

 of swallows from their newly formed nest, and take immediate pos- 

 session of the premises, in which his female also laid her eggs and 

 reared her young. Even the Blue-bird who claims an equal, and 

 sort of hereditary right to the box in the garden, when attacked 



