THE WREN OF ST KILDA 295 



second plumage by the 21st September, while others were 

 still in their nestling dress at that date. Others, again, 

 showed an intermediate condition through the appearance of 

 the whitish feathers of the second plumage on the abdomen. 



In the autumns of 1910 and 191 1 the writer spent nearly 

 twelve weeks at St Kilda, devoting his time to the observa- 

 tion of its bird-life, resident and migratory. The Wren was 

 found in all parts of Hirta, and it also occurs on the islands 

 of Soay, Boreray, Dun, and Stack-an-Armin. It appeared 

 to be equally at home amid the well-rounded boulders which 

 form the rampart at the head of the bay, in the stone walls 

 which enclose the crofted area, among the rough stones 

 and rocks which form the screes on the hill-sides, and on 

 the face of the great cliffs. Amid these varying haunts the 

 birds crept in and out of the cover afforded, and displayed 

 the usual restless activity which is so eminently characteristic 

 of its kind. Three nests were pointed out from which eggs 

 had been taken in the previous springs. One of these was 

 built in a cavity in the centre of a mass of dead thrift on 

 the face of a cliff against whose base the waves of the 

 Atlantic never cease to break. The others were situated 

 in chinks in the walls of the " cleits," as the numerous small 

 stone erections are called which form such a feature in the 

 St Kildan landscape, and in which, before the days of salt 

 were available, the natives used to preserve their stores of 

 dried birds for winter use, but now form receptacles for their 

 turf-fuel and hay. These nests resembled in structure those 

 of the common bird, and were composed of the dried blades 

 and stems of grasses, small tufts of dry grass, a little moss 

 and dead bracken, and were either entirely lined with the 

 white feathers from various gulls, or with a mixture of moss 

 and white feathers. 



The song of the St Kilda Wren so closely resembles 

 that of its mainland representative that I was not able to 

 detect anything about it that was distinctive ; it is said, 

 however, to be louder than that of the Common Wren, and 

 it may well appear to be so when heard amid St Kildan 

 solitudes. 



