72 WOOD-WREN. 



in the Baltic provinces, though rarer in South Finland, and only a 

 straggler to Archangel. Eastward it can be traced to Kazan, the 

 lower valley of the Volga, the Caucasus, and the western shore of 

 the Caspian. In Palestine, Asia Minor, and Greece, it chiefly 

 occurs on migration : but it breeds in Turkey and the greater part 

 of Europe, although rarely in the extreme south ; while it is only a 

 migrant in Spain, and almost unknown in Portugal. Tt appears 

 probable that a few remain during the summer in the mountain forests 

 of the Atlas ; the winter migrations extending to Madeira, the 

 Canaries, and the Gold Coast on the west side of Africa, as well as to 

 Abyssinia on the east. Notwithstanding its comparatively long 

 wings, the ^^'ood-Wren appears to hug the land on passage far more 

 closely than is customary with the Willow- Wren and the Chiffchaff, 

 thousands of which annually visit Heligoland on their migrations ; 

 whereas the A\'ood-Wren is seldom met with there. 



Like its congeners, this species makes a domed nest of dry grass, 

 but there is }to lining of feathers. Sloping wooded banks are 

 favourite situations for the nest, which often is not merely 07i the 

 ground, but is actually set in some natural hollow among scanty 

 undergrowth and dry leaves. The hen at times sits very closely, 

 and when fairly beaten out she will feed in an unconcerned manner 

 for a quarter of an hour or more, uttering a Xq-^ pi-b ; after which she 

 works round to a branch above her nest, drops down abruptly, and 

 enters it in an instant. The 5-7 eggs, laid about mid-May, are white, 

 thickly spotted and frequently zoned with purplish-brown and violet- 

 grey : average measurements "65 by '55 in. {P. bonellii — a miniature 

 Wood-Wren, common on the Continent, especially in the south — lays 

 similar but much smaller eggs.) The food is principally insects, 

 often taken on the wing, and berries in the season. The call-note 

 is dee-ur, dee-ur, dee-ur ; the shivering song, which may be syllabled 

 as chit, chit, chit, chit, chitr, tr-tr-tr-tr-tr-tre, is accompanied by rapid 

 vibrations of the wings and tail. 



In spring the adult has a broad and characteristic sulphur-yellow 

 streak above and behind the eye ; the upper parts yellowish-green ; 

 wings greyish-brown, edged with yellowish, turning whiter on the 

 inner secondaries ; tail greyish-brown ; belly and under tail-coverts 

 white ; breast and throat sulphur-yellow ; bill, legs and feet brown. 

 Length 5-2 in. ; wing, to the tip of the 3rd and longest quill, 3-1 

 in. ; the first or bastard quill being very short ; tarsus 7 in. In 

 plumage the sexes are alike ; the young differ in being rather 

 yellower than the adults. The coloration, larger size, and propor- 

 tionately long wing distinguish this species from its allies. 



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