OrmtJioIogij of St. Kilda. 81 



from the Wren iuliabitiug the rest of the United Kingdom. 

 This little stranger was introduced to the notice of ornitho- 

 logists by Mr. Seebohm ('Zoologist/ 1884, p. 333). He 

 writes : — '^ The St, -Kilda Wren most nearly resembles Tro- 

 glodytes parvuJus pallescens from the Western Aleutian 

 Islands, but is much more distinctly barred on the back and 

 head, and almost free from any traces of spots on the throat 

 and breast. In general colour it is quite as pale and slightly 

 greyer than examples of Troglodytes parvulus pallidus from 

 Algeria and Turkestan. The bill resembles that of Troglo- 

 dytes parvulus borealis from the Faroe Islands. The eye- 

 stripe is as distinct as in typical examples from Europe, a 

 character which is least developed in T. parvulus nipalensis 

 and T. j)arvulus fumigatus." 



I had not been on St. Kilda long before the little bird 

 arrested my attention, as it flew from rock to rock, or glided 

 in and out of the crevices of the wails. It differs very little 

 in its habits from its congener ; only, instead of hopping rest- 

 lessly and incessantly about brushwood, it has to content 

 itself with boulders and walls. It was in full song, and its 

 voice seemed to me louder and more powerful than that of 

 the Common Wren. 1 often saw it within a few feet of the 

 sea, hopping about the rocks on the beach ; and a pair had 

 made their nest in the wall below the manse, not thirty yards 

 from the waves. I also saw it frequently on the tops of 

 the hills and in many parts of the cliffs. It was especially 

 common on Doon, and its cheery little song sounded from 

 all parts of the rocks. 



As there are no bushes nor trees on St. Kilda (except 

 those the microscopic eye of a botanist might discover), the 

 Wren takes to the luxuriant grass, sorrel, and other herbage 

 growing on the cliffs, and picks its insect food from them. 

 It also catches spiders and the larvae of different insects in 

 the nooks and crannies which it is incessantly exploring. It 

 is a pert active little bird, b}^ no means siiy ; and I used to 

 watch a pair that were feeding their young in a nest not six 

 yards from our door. Its breeding-season must commence 

 early in May, for the young were tliree parts grown by the 



SER. V. VOL. III. G 



