664 BRITISH BIRDS. 



great quickness and agility in and out of the crevices of the walls^ its little 

 tail held over its back, and with the constant bobbing of the head which 

 makes the Common Wren so pert and engaging. It differs very little in 

 its habits from its congener — it is just as restless, just as fearless ; only, 

 instead of hopping incessantly about brushwood or exploring roots and 

 stumps and brambles, it has to content itself with boulders and walls. It 

 was in full song, and I remarked that its voice is louder and more powerful 

 than that of the Common Wren. I 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 the island of Doon, where the Fork -tailed Petrels 

 breed and the Puffins nest in countless thousands, its cheery notes sounding 

 from all parts of the rocks. Its call-notes are loud and startling, similar to 

 those of the Common Wren, but harsher. As there are no trees or bushes on 

 St. Kilda, the Wren inhabits the luxuriant grass, sorrel, and other herbage 

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

 spiders and the larvse of different insects in the nooks and crannies which 

 it is incessantly exploring. Its young appear to be exclusively fed on insects. 

 It is very fearless, and I used to watch a pair that were feeding their young 

 in a nest not six yards from our door. Both male and female joined in 

 the task. Its breeding-season must commence early in May, for the 

 young were three-parts grown by the beginning of June. It makes its 

 nest either in one of the numerous ' cleats,^ or in the crevice of a wall, or 

 under an overhanging bank. I had not the good fortune to obtain the 

 eggs of this bird ; but my friend Mr. John Mackenzie obligingly obtained 

 them for me this season, and supplies me with the following note : — ' The 

 habits of the St.-Kilda Wren differ from those of the Common Wren. Its 

 song is much louder, harsher, and has not nearly so many notes. Its 

 favourite places for singing are on the tops of the " cleats " and the highest 

 stone of the dykes or walls. It is particularly fond of nesting in the roof 

 of a " cleat " and in the centre of a cairn. It lays six eggs only.^ It is to 

 be hoped that British naturalists will do their best to preserve and protect 

 this little bird, one of the very few species peculiar to the British 

 Islands.^^ 



A nest of the St.-Kilda W^rcn, taken in June this year, is domed like 

 that of the Common Wren, and is composed almost entirely of moss, 

 with a number of grass-stalks woven underneath the entrance, and is 

 profusely lined with feathers and a quantity of hair. The eggs are six in 

 number when the full clutch is deposited ; they are pure white, profusely 

 spotted, principally round the large end, with brownish red and a few paler 

 underlying markings. Those in a second clutch were pure white without 

 spots, and almost as much pointed at the large end as at the small end. 



