316 THE YELLOW WOOD-WREN. 



larger than them ; but was considered rarer than it is, and long 

 escaped detection as a separate species by its being confined to 

 old open woods, and flitting amongst the higher branches of the 

 high trees. It passed for the willow wren, till White of 

 Selborne and Montagu simply did what we should all do — took 

 nothing for granted, but studied the open book of Nature for 

 themselves, and were agnostics in Natural History, as we should 

 be of Natural Religion — not like those manufacturers of shoddy 

 who take the works of dead authors, tear them to pieces, without 

 giving their authority, add scraps of their own, and make them 

 pass for new. Writing in April 1768, White says — 



" I make no doubt but there are three species of willow wrens ; two I know 

 perfectly, but have not been able yet to procure the third. No two birds 

 can differ more in their notes, and that constantly, than those two I am 

 acquainted with ; for the one (this wood wren) ' has a joyous, easy, laughing 

 note ; the other a harsh loud chirp.' — the chiff-chaff — ' the former is larger 

 and three-quarters of an inch longer, weighs two drams and a half, while 

 the other weighs but two— so the songster is a fifth heavier than the 

 chirper. The chirper is the first summer bird of passage that is heard, 

 beerins his two notes in the middle of March and continues till the end of 

 August, as appears by my journals. The legs of the larger are flesh- 

 coloured ; of the less, black.' " 



And writing in August, same year, 1768, he says — 



" I have now, past dispute, made out three distinct species of the willow 

 wrens (Motacillce Trochili of Linn. )* which invariably use distinct notes. 

 In my letter, of April 18th, I told you peremptorily that I knew your 

 willow lark, but had not seen it then ; but when I got it, it proved to be a 

 very Motacilla Trochilus (wood wren) — only it is a size larger than the other 

 two, and the yellow-green of the upper part of the body more vivid, and the 

 belly of a clearer white. I have specimens of the three sorts now lying 

 before me, and discern that there are three sizes — the least has black legs ; 

 the other two flesh-coloured ones. The yellowish bird (the wood wren) is 

 considerably the largest, and has its quill-feathers and secondary ones tipped 

 with white ; the others have not. This one haunts only the tops of trees in 

 high beech woods, and makes a sibilous, grasshopper-like noise, now and then, 

 at short intervals, shivering a little with its wings when it sings ; and is, I 

 make no doubt now, the regulus non-cristatus of Rae, which he says 

 ' cantat voce stridula locustce.' Yet this great ornithologist never suspected 

 there were three species." 



Although not very common, it is found in all old woods 

 throughout Britain. I have seen and listened to it with silent 

 pleasure at St Fort, Magus Moor, the old fir park on 

 Tentsmuir, Kinaldy, and all the old woods about St Andrews. 

 It feeds on insects and their larvae, and, like the tits and 

 creepers, runs up and down the trunks and branches in search of 

 them. It begins its peculiar and loud notes of hvee, tioee, twee 



* Like his genus Falco, the genus Motacilla of Linnaeus embraced a wide range of birds, 

 sub-divided since White's time by many authors. 



