154 THE NESTS AND EGGS OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



pairs for life, and makes its home in one chosen spot 

 season after season, although building a new nest each 

 successive year. The nests of this species that I have 

 seen were made in crevices of the rough walls, in heaps 

 of stones, and under the turf and stone roofs of the 

 "cleats." The nest very closely resembles that of the 

 Common Wren, being made on precisely the same 

 model, globular, with a small hole at the front, near 

 the top, or in the side. It is composed almost entirely 

 of moss, but round the entrance-hole, especially just 

 below it, a {q.^^ dry grass-stalks are interwoven, and is 

 lined profusely with feathers and a little horsehair, the 

 latter being pulled from the numerous Puffin snares set 

 in the cliffs. The birds were remarkably tame at the 

 nest, going in and out as I stood watching them. The 

 female sits closely, often allowing herself to be lifted 

 from the eggs. 



Range of egg colouration and measurement: 

 The eggs of the St. Kilda Wren are six in number. 

 They are pure white in ground colour, profusely spotted, 

 especially round the larger end, with brownish-red, and 

 a few underlying markings of paler and grayer brown. 

 Some varieties are almost devoid of markings ; others 

 have the markings in a circular mass at the end. 

 Average measurement, 72 inch in length, by '57 inch in 

 breadth. Incubation, performed chiefly by the female, 

 lasts fourteen days. 



Diagnostic characters : It is impossible to give 

 any character that will distinguish the eggs of this 

 sub-species, either from those of its near ally (but on an 

 average they are a little larger), or from those of the 

 Great Titmouse, Nuthatch, etc. The locality is a safe 

 guide to their correct identification and authentication, 

 as no other species breeds on St. Kilda whose eggs can 

 be confused with them. 



