474 BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 



The female is very similar in all respects to the 

 male. The bird is larger than the Chiffchaff, 

 and the feathers in its nest readily distinguish it 

 from the structure built by the rarer Wood Wren. 



Situation and Locality. On the ground amongst 

 coarse grass and weeds, entwining themselves round 

 slender twigs of low, open bushes growing on banks. 

 I have found it most frequently on banks near 

 willow- and alder-fringed streams whilst trout-fishing, 

 and have often sat and watched the hen hop about 

 restlessly, and after a great deal of timid hesitation, 

 re-enter her nest. I was shown two nests in West- 

 morland during June, 1894, in holes in walls. 

 One was at least three feet from the ground, and 

 the other about a couple, not reckoning a high 

 bank upon which the wall stood. In 1905 I found 

 a nest in some ivy growing against a stable wall 

 at Dingwall, at least six feet from the ground. 

 Throughout the British Isles, wherever trees and 

 bushes are to be found in sufficient quantities. 



Materials. Dead grass, moss, dead fern-fronds 

 and leaves, lined with horsehair, cowhair, and 

 liberal quantities of feathers. It is dome-shaped, 

 with a hole in front which is somewhat larger 

 than that of the Chiffchaff. 



Eggs. Four to eight, generally six or seven ; 

 white, spotted variably with pale rusty-red. Some- 

 times the spots are small and scattered pretty 

 evenly over the surface ; at others they are larger, 

 less numerous, and more thickly congregated round 

 the larger end. Pure white and unspotted specimens 

 have been met with. The pale rusty-red markings 

 distinguish the eggs of this bird from those of the 

 Wood Wren and Chiffchaff. Size about .64 by 

 .47 in. (See Plate IV.) 



