WOOD WREN. 43 



but it is a very shy bird and is in consequence difficult 

 to observe. The upper parts are slate-grey in colour, 

 the head greyish black, while the breast is chestnut 

 brown shading into white on the belly. It is about 

 the same size as the Chiff-chaff, but thinner, and has 

 a much longer tail. It feeds almost entirely on insects, 

 though doubtless it will tackle fruit when it can obtain 

 it. The nest must be looked for in furze bushes. It 

 is very slenderly made, so much so that it is sometimes 

 possible to see the form of the eggs in it when looking 

 up through the bottom. In materials and form it 

 very much resembles the Whitethroat's, made of grass, 

 furze and wool, with a lining of grass. The eggs also 

 are very similar to some varieties of the Whitethroat ; 

 greenish white, speckled with olive brown and grey, 

 forming a zone toward the larger end. You should 

 make quite sure, therefore, of the bird and surroundings, 

 before cataloguing eggs in your possession as those of 

 this rather rare species. 



WOOD WREN. 



PHYLLOSCOPUS SIBILATRIX. 

 Family Passerid^. Sub-family Sylviin^. Genus Phyllos- 



COPUS. 



Wood Warbler — Yellow Wren — Yellow Willow Wren — Green 

 Wren. 



This little bird reaches us late in April, sometimes 

 not till the beginning of May, the males (as in the case 

 of most of the Warblers) arriving a few days before 

 the females. It is not uncommon in England and 

 Wales, but in Scotland and Ireland it is not of fre- 

 quent occurrence. On its arrival, it betakes itself to 



