COMMON WREN, 369 



active in their manners. They lose, however, in a 

 great measure, the true scansorial habits, but cling 

 to sticks or buildings, and thread their way 

 through any entangled heap with facility. They 

 may be thus characterized, 



TROGLODYTES, Linn. Generic characters. 

 Bill slender, compressed, slightly curved ; 

 wings short, rounded, fourth and fifth quills 

 longest ; tail short ; tarsi and toes rather 

 long, outer toe connected to the middle, 

 inner free, claws on anterior toes slender, 

 hinder claws lengthened. 



Type, T. Eur opens. 



Note. Europe, America. 



THE COMMON WREN. 



Troglodytes JEuropeus CUVIER. 

 PLATE XXIII. 



Motacilla troglodytes, Will. Linn. Sylvia troglodytes, 

 Lath. Troglodytes Europeus, Cuv. Wren, or 

 Common Wren, of British authors. 



THIS very active and hardy little bird is very 

 continuously distributed over the British Islands, 

 being resident in some of the northern isles ; 

 while out of Britain it reaches even to the arctic 

 circle.* The Wren is a favourite bird with most 

 * Temminck. 

 2 A 



