494 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



First winter and summer. — Like adults and there seem no 

 constant differences to distinguish them. The juvenile body- 

 feathers, lessei and median wing-coverts, 3 or 4 inner greater coverts, 

 sometimes imiermost secondary and often (i^ossibly always) the 

 whole tail are moulted Aug. -Oct. but not primaries, primary- 

 coverts, or rest of secondaries, nor rest of greater wing-coverts. 



Measurements and structure. — ^ wing 46-50 mm., tail 30-33, 

 tarsus 17-18.5, bill from skull 12-14 (12 measured). $ wing 43-48. 

 Primaries : 1st about half as long as 2nd, 2nd 4-7 mm. shorter than 

 longest, 3rd, 4th and 5th about equal and longest but 3rd often 

 1-2 mm. shorter, 6th .5-1.5 shorter, 7th 2^ shorter ; 3rd to 6th 

 emarginated outer webs. Secondaries a little shorter than 10th 

 primary and about equal to 2nd, tips rounded. Tail rounded, 

 outermost jmir markedly shoit, 12 feathers, tijDs sharply sloped off. 

 Bill fine and compressed, culmen slightly curved. Nostrils slit-like 

 being covered by membrane. No nasal bi^i sties but a few very 

 fine and very shoit rictal bristles. Feet and claws strong and 

 latter curved. 



Soft parts. — Bill : upper mandible, black-broTvii, lower pale 

 horn-colour ; legs and feet dull brownish-flesh ; iris dark brown. 



Characters and allied forms. — For differences of T. t. hirtensis 

 anel zetlandicus see under those forms ; T. t. borealis (Faeroes) is 

 like T. t. hirtensis in size but intermediate in coloration and barring 

 between that form and T. t. troglodytes ; T. t. islandicus (Iceland) 

 is larger than T. t. borealis and darker brown on upper-parts ; T. t. 

 kabylorum (north-west Africa, Balearic Is.) is very close to T. t. 

 troglodytes but slightly less rufous on upper-parts and less barred on 

 belly ; T. t. koenigi (Corsica, Sardinia) much like last with longer 2nd 

 primary ; T. t. cyj^riotes (Cyprus) with longer bill and more barred 

 under-parts ; T. t. hyrcanus (Caucasus, north Persia) is paler on upper- 

 parts than T. t. troglodytes but not so pale as T. t. pallidus (Turkestan, 

 Transcaspia) ; T. t. nipalensis (Sikl^im, Nepal), T. t. tibetana 

 (Tibet), T. t. neglectus (western Himalayas), T. t. dauricus (Tratis- 

 baikal) and a number of other forms in China and Japan are very 

 dark on upper-parts and much barred on under-parts ; T. t. palles- 

 cens (Commander Is. Kamtschatka) is large and pale ; other forms 

 inhabit N. Ameiica. Short tail, small size, and barring distinguish 

 Wren specifically from other British birds. 



Field-characters. — Ubicpiitous, occurring at all seasons in very 

 diverse surroundings. At home equally in a lowland hedgerow, on 

 precipitous rock-faces of our highest mountains, or creeping about 

 the bole of some large tree. Its fearless demeanour, diminutive 

 proportions, short and narrow tail — usually upturned — anel warm 

 browTi coloration, are distinctive. Flight, performed by quick 

 beats of short wings, direct and rapid but seldom sustained. Song 

 & boisterous outburst, something like Hedge-Sparrow's but fuller. 



