WREN. 



place : if built beside a hay-rick, it is composed of 

 hay ; if against the side of a tree covered with 

 white moss, it is made of that material ; and with 

 green moss, if against a tree covered with the 

 same. Within, it is usually lined with hair and 

 feathers.* The nest is of an oval shape, very 

 deep and thick, with a small hole towards the top 

 for ingress and egress. It is probably from the 

 form of its nest, that this bird derives its specific 

 denomination " troglodytes. "j- 



Mr. Rennie observes, that the Wren does not 

 begin at the bottom of its nest first, which is usual 

 with most birds ; but if against a tree, first traces 

 the outline of the nest, which is of an oval shape, 

 and by that means fastens it equally strong to all 

 parts, and afterwards encloses the sides and top, 

 leaving only a small hole near the top for entrance. 

 If the nest is placed under a bank, the top is 

 first begun, and well secured in some small cavity, 

 by which the fabric is suspended. 



The eggs are seven or eight in number ; though 

 some naturalists allege that it occasionally lays 

 as many as eighteen eggs. J They are white, spa- 

 ringly marked with small reddish spots, most com- 

 monly at the larger end. 



The food of this species is insects, which it finds 

 in abundance to support life even in the severest 

 winters. Wrens, however, often perish in very 



* Ornithological Dictionary. 



f The Troglodytae were an ancient race of people inhabiting 

 Ethiopia, who are reported to have lived in caverns. 

 X See Pennant's British Zoology. 



