52 NEST AND SONG. 



the genus, this is the most common ; it is a delicate and active 

 little bird, equally pleasing on account of its liveliness and 

 cheerful song. It arrives in the south of England early in 

 April, and in the middle parts of Scotland about the 20th 

 and 25th of that month, resorting to woods and thickets, 

 especially those in the neighbourhood of water, where it 

 remains until its departure late in September. It is ex- 

 tremely vivacious, and is seen briskly flitting about among 

 the twigs in search of insects, frequently making little 

 excursions on wing in pursuit of a fly, and sometimes 

 betaking itself to the ground, where it hops and frisks with 

 equal activity. 



The nest is placed on the ground among the herbage, on 

 a dry bank, under a hedge, or beneath a bush. It is com- 

 posed of moss, and sometimes a few withered leaves ; then 

 of blades and stalks of chervil grass, with long, fibrous roots 

 and hairs, and an internal layer of feathers ; it is arched 

 over. The eggs are from four to seven in number, white, 

 with red or purplish spots ; length about seven and a-half 

 twelfths of an inch. 



Mr. Hepburn, who observed the habits of this bird in the 

 interior of Haddingtonshire, says : 



On the 9th of May I heard a great many "Willow Wrens singing 

 on a tall hedge-row, in a well-sheltered glen ; also, a few in the 

 plantation, in which I observed the Wood Wren. I saw none any- 

 where else until the 12th, when they were very generally distributed. 

 The situations which they most frequent, are gardens, plantations, 

 and hedges, in the latter case giving the preference to those which 

 have not been subjected to pruning. Their song is very pleasing, 

 consisting of several plaintive notes in a regular descending scale. 

 During windy weather, we only hear a plaintive note, resembling 

 whe-u-ee. The song of this species is heard till the middle or end of 

 July. In autumn great numbers may be seen gliding about amongst 

 our^ fruit-trees and bushes. I do not think they ever eat fruit, 

 their sole object being to feed on the multitudes of insects which 

 resort thither. The young are fledged about the beginning of July, and 

 from this neighbourhood the species takes its departure about the 

 8th or 10th of September. 



Bishop Mant thus describes the bird 



Where the gay sallow's bursting down 

 Is gilt with many a golden crown, 



