Ill* 



TROCHILUS. 



TROQLOnYTW.fi. 



llto 



front, the breast and all the lower parts of the body, are tarnished 

 whiw, with a little brown on the flanks. Tail, consisting of eight 

 brownih feathers, bordered with whit* within ; two middle feather* 

 much longer than the others, whita on their internal side, brownish 

 on their external border, and entirely brown at the extremity. Bill 

 lander, black. Feet reddish. Total length 5 inches 5 lines (French) ; 

 of this the tail measures 3 inches 2 lines, and the bill 6 lines. It is a 

 native of Peru, and especially the Plain of Lima. 



All the species of Humming-Birds are exclusively natives of the 

 New World where they are found, from one extremity of the con- 

 tinent to another. One species is described as inhabiting America 

 as far north as Sitka, whilst another has been found at Cape Horn. 

 One group, the genus Oi-eotrochilut, is found at the height of 15,000 

 feet above the level of the sea, where they feed upon the Coltoptera 

 and Jlymmoptera, which frequent the alpine plants of these snowy 

 regions. They abound however in the tropical regions of America, 

 and are most numerous in the deltas and along the banks of the great 

 rivers which flow through this vast continent. 



Some species arc found in the West Indian Islands which are not 

 found on the continent One island in the Pacific teams with these 

 birds, and three ipecies are found peculiar to the island of Juan 

 Fernandez. 



Many attempts have been mode to bring these beautiful birds to 

 Europe, but with one exception they have all failed. It has not been 

 found difficult to keep them for a short period in captivity in their 

 native countries, but no permanent success has attended tho oft- 

 repeated experiment of bringing them lo the Old World. 



TROCHILUS. [TaocuiLiDX.] 



TROCHOI'DEA. [TnocmD.E.1 



TROCHOIDEUa [PAUSSID.E.] 



TROCHUS. [TBOCHID.K.] 



TROGLODYTES. [CHIMPANZEE; TBOGLODTTIN.K.] 



TROOLODYTIN^E, a family of Insessorial Birds, to which the 

 Wrens belong. 



Linnxus placed the true Wrens among his Motacillcc. 



Meyer arranged them in the third sub-order, Sttbulaia, of his fifth 

 order, Otcines. 



Cuvier gave them a place under his Bee-Fins (Motacilla, Linn.), with 

 the generic names of Jtryulut, Cuv., and Troylodytu, CUT. 



M. Latreille makes them members of the second family, Dentirottrei, 

 of his second order Passereaux. 



The position assigned to tlie sub-family Ti-oglo<l ytina, or Wrens, by 

 Mr. Swainson, is between the Sittinrt (Nuthatches) and the Buphagimc 

 (Oxpeokrr), in the family Ccrthiadtr. 



The following is his character of the Troylodytina : Feet with the 

 tarsus longer than the hind toe, which is but slightly developed ; 

 lateral toes nearly equul, and cleft to their base ; the teuuirostral 

 division. 



The genera which Mr. Swainson arranges under this sub-family are 

 PlatyHnu, Sw.; Tkriothm-ut, Vieill. ; Troglodytes, Linn.; Loc/imia, 

 Kw. ; Tiehodroma, 111. 



Mr. Swainson arranges the Golden-Crested Wrens, or Gold-Crests, 

 as he terms them, among the ttylviatla: 



Prince Bonaparte, in his 'Birds of Europe and North America,' 

 place* the genus Troglodyta, of which he records one European and 

 three American species, next to the genus Ctrthia, in his sub-family 

 Cerlkixa ; and he make* Kegulut, of which ho notices three European 

 and three American species, the first genus of his sub-family Parinic. 

 Keijtdta, in the Prince's arrangement, is immediately followed by 

 Puna. 



The TroglodyttM of Mr. G. R. Gray form the seventh and last sub- 

 family of his family Ctrthida, and comprise the following genera : 

 Minocrypla, O. R Gray; Mcnura, Dav. ; Pleroptochoi, Kittl. ; ficyla- 

 lop**, Uould; Microura, Gould; ilrrulaxii. Less.; Thru/tliurui, Vieill.; 

 i i,,,/:itloifiyncliut, Spix; Khamphociniui, Vieill., and Troylodytei, Cuv. 



Tho genera Troglodyte* and Rryulia are examples of thin group. 



Troglodyta Ettroptttu, tlolacilla troglodyte!, Linn., is tho Troglodyte, 

 Koytelet, Beuf de Dieu, Berichot, and Roy Bertaud of the French ; 

 (! ill", Kcgillo, Rectino, Reatin, Fiorrnciuo, Sericciolo, Re d'Uccelli, 

 and Sbuocafrattc, of the Italians; Nelle Konge of Brunnich; Sclmeek- 

 oning, Konickerl, and Zaunschlupfrel, of Kramer ; Zaun Hanger of 

 Meyer; Haus und Waldxaunkonig of Brebm; Wren, Vraun or Ran, 

 Cutty, Katy or Kitty Wren, and Kitty, of the English ; Dryw of the 

 Welsh. 



This bird is found in northern and central Europe. Iceland, Green- 

 land. Tie Faroe Islands. Resident in Sweden. England, Wales, 

 Scotland, and Irrland, Orkney and Shetland. Spain, France, and Italy. 

 Smyrna. Trebizond. 



This familiar little bird, which has become sacred, like the robin, 

 from the confidence which it shows in courting the neighbourhood of 

 roan, creep* about the hedges, making small flight', and in its search 

 for insect* generally entering the lower part of the hedge and working 

 upwards. Like the Robin it will sing cheerily even in mid-winter, but 

 the frost and snow are sometimes too much for it, and the little crea- 

 ture perishes with cold, which however it avoids by roosting in warm 

 cattle-shed*, for the sake of the animal heat of the inmates, and in 

 other sheltered places. 



The nest is placed variously, according to circumstances. Linntriis 

 says, " nidificat sub terra," and it ha* been sometimes found in a bank 

 or old road. The materials generally vary with the situation. Thus 

 if the nest be built against the side oC a hayrick, hay is used ; if against 

 the trunk of a mots-grown tree, that moss is employed. It is large 

 iu proportion to the bird, and the shape is generally oval, the top 

 being in the form of a dome, and the entrance by a small hole at the 

 side or sometimes at one end. Feathers generally form the lining. 

 Seven, ten, and even more eggs, white, with a few pale red spots, but 

 sometimes spotless, are here deposited, and about ten days suffice for 

 hatching the brood, 18 of which, it is asserted, have been seen in one 

 nest, a large family for the diminutive parents to rear. But they are 

 most assiduous in collecting food for their young, and though the 

 incubation is short, the female sits very close, depending for her 

 subsistence upon the male, who is in constant attendance on her. 

 Insects and worms are their food. 



The feathers iu a Wren's tail make a killing trout-fly in the early 

 part of the season. 



In the ' Portraits d'Oyseaux ' (1557) the following quatrain appears 

 under the cut of this species : 



11 Get orselct, qn'on nommc Hoytclet, 

 Kncontrc 1'Afgle a debat et qucrclle. 

 Tousiour* cut pay, tant maelp, quo femellc : 

 Kt tousioura chantc, aymant cure seulet." 



The first lines allude to tho old fable of the enmity which wa 

 supposed to exist between the Wren and the Eagle. 





Wren (TrufloJyln Kurofitui}. 



Bt'jidiu ci-utatus, Motacilla Jlcyulus, Linn., is the Roitelet and Roitilet 

 Hu|ipi ; of the French, and Pennant thinks, with reason in our opinion, 

 that it is the Soulcie, or Soucie, ofBelon; it is the Regolo, Red' IV, , Hi 

 Col Ciuffo, Reattino, aud Fior-Kancio, of the Italians ; Kongsfogcl of 

 the Swedes ; Fugle-Konge of Brunnich ; Feuglegongen of Walter ; 

 Gekrbnter Siinger, Sommer Zaunkoenig, Nordiiches Saflrankopfiges 

 und Goldkopfiges Goldhanchen, of the Germans ; Goldhanucl of Kramer ; 

 Gold-Crested Wren, Golden-Crested Wren, Golden-Crowned Wren, and 

 Kinglet, of the English; Yswigw and Sywigw of tho Welsh. 



M. Temminck states that this species is sufficiently common in nil 

 the countries of Europe up to the Arctic circle. It is an inhabitant 

 of Russia, Siberia, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, but from these 

 more northern localities there appears to be a kind of autumnal migra- 

 tion to the more temperate parts down to the Mediterranean. It is 

 fairly spread over England, Wale*, Scotland, and Ireland, and is found 

 in Orkney and Shetland. It has been received from Trebizond. 

 Edwards looked on it as inhabiting many parts of Asia, and it has 

 been seen in Japan. 



This beautiful aud active little bird, which is a constant resident in 

 these inlands, may be frequently seen busy among the branches, espe- 

 cially of some larch or fir, running actively along and clearing away 

 the insects. It is far from uncommon round London ; and if the 

 observer approach cautiously and stand still, he may watch its motions 

 within a very few feet without disturbing it 



