The HOUSE WREN (_Thryothorus platensis_), a South American species, is
brown on the upper portion of the body, shading into red towards the
rump. The quills and tail-feathers are finely striped with blackish
brown, the former edged with a paler shade on the inner web; a pale
streak passes over the eye; the throat is white; the region of the cheek
striped with brown; the throat, breast, and belly are pale reddish
yellow, the sides of the breast being deepest in tint, and faintly
streaked. The eye is deep brown; the beak dark grey, whitish at its
base; the foot reddish brown. The length of the body is four inches and
six lines, the breadth six inches; the wing measures one inch and ten
lines, and the tail an inch and a half. "This agreeable singing bird,"
says the Prince von Wied, "may be regarded as replacing our Common
House Sparrow about the Brazilian houses. In appearance and habits it
closely resembles the Common Wren, and is constantly to be seen hopping
nimbly about the gardens and over the roofs and fences, or creeping with
astonishing quickness through tiny holes or compact hedges. Its loud,
sweet-toned voice is very similar to that of the True Warblers. The
nests, which are small and carelessly constructed, are generally built
upon the house-tops, or in holes of walls; those we saw were open above
and very shallow, formed externally of stalks and grass, thickly lined
with feathers. The eggs, four in number, were rose-pink, marked with deep
red."