WREN. 135 
depraved after that, or aver that music hath no charms to 
soothe the savage breast? Melody awakened humanity, and 
humanity—mercy; the angels who sang at the creation whispered 
to the child’s heart. The bird was saved, and God was glorified 
by the deed. Dear little boys! don’t stone the birds.’ 
The Wren is found in Europe as far north as Sweden, the 
Ferroe Islands, Iceland, and ‘Greenland’s icy mountains,’ as 
also in the other direction in Spain and Italy. 
In Asia it has also been noticed, namely, in Asia Minor, 
by my friend Mr. Hugh KH. Strickland. 
In England it is a universal favourite, and plentiful in most 
districts. In Yorkshire it is said to be less common near 
Halifax than in other parts. It is known likewise throughout 
Ireland, Scotland, Shetland, and most parts of Orkney. 
It remains with us throughout the year, braving the rigour 
of the northern winter, and generally without harm; in severe 
seasons, however, if the snow be deep on the ground, not a 
few perish. 
The Wren is one of our best known and most familiar birds, 
frequenting not only lanes and hedges, but gardens close to 
houses, and sheltering itself in the neighbouring and often 
ivy-clad outbuildings, several at times roosting together, and 
frequently in the old nest, for warmth’s sake, in such places 
or among heaps of stones, or the hollows in the roots of old 
and decayed trees, in the cold and frosty winter nights. Thev 
make, says William Ogilby, Esq., a prodigious chattering and 
bustle before finally settling down for the night, as if contending 
which shall get into the warmest and most comfortable place, 
and frequently come to the mouth of the hole to see that 
they are unobserved. They may be the family of the preceding 
year, and if so it would shew that the bond of social unio} 
continues unbroken till the following spring. 
They often suffer a near approach, but nevertheless are easily 
alarmed, and then quickly steal back into the concealment 
which is most congenial to them, or fly away to some short 
distance, and then again seek the friendly shelter of the hedge 
or bush, and retire into their pristine obscurity. These birds 
may be kept in confinement. They too shew anxiety about 
their young, and the Rev. W. D. Fox communicated to Mr. 
Hewitson an account of one which would suffer its nest to be 
taken in the hand and examined, remaining the while quietly 
seated on its eggs. ©. Conway, Esq. writes in the ‘Magazine 
of Natural History,’ volume viii. page 547, of one to which 
