WILLOW WREN. 47 



pearing in the slightest degree disturbed at its cap- 

 tivity. Hewitson also mentions one which he caught 

 and put for the night in a large box, and such was its 

 tameness, that when he " took it out the following 

 morning, and would have set it at liberty, it seemed 

 to have no wish to leave his hand, and would hop 

 about the table at which he was sitting, picking up 

 the flies which he caught for it ". Its food is entirely 

 insectivorous ; neither this bird nor the Wood Wren 

 nor Chiff-chaff caring for the fruit of the kitchen 

 garden. The upper parts of the Willow Wren are 

 olive brown in colour, the throat and breast are white 

 tinged with yellow. The tail is long for the size of 

 the bird. It is very similar to the Wood Wren in 

 appearance, but rather smaller and of a darker and 

 more dingy colour. 



The nest is very large for the size of the bird, and 

 is built upon the ground among the brushwood or 

 under the shelter of a tuft of grass. It is similar to 

 the Wood Wren's in construction, being made of dead 

 grass, moss and leaves, and lined with fine roots, 

 horsehair and a profusion of feathers, which latter, it 

 will be recollected, the Wood Wren's does not contain. 

 It is said that it is the only partially domed nest 

 which is placed on the ground. 



The eggs are very difficult to distinguish from 

 those of some of the Tits, but the situation and shape 

 of the nest will always be sufficient to enable one to 

 identify them. They are four to seven in number, of 

 a light pinkish white, but they vary greatly in mark- 

 ings. Some are not much spotted and some are pure 

 white. The spots are pale brownish red. 



