WOOD-WREN'S SONG 29 



she remained until the Cuckoo, which seemed 

 extremely struck- with the "sight of :the camera 

 being unable to see me flew away. The Wren 

 then returned, and almost immediately went 

 into the nest, and I was able to expose three 

 plates. 



Where the Willow-Wren is common the Wood- 

 Wren seems to be correspondingly scarce, and vice 

 versd. At one place in the New Forest we met 

 with several Wood-Wrens, while in Epping Forest 

 the species is not so common as its congener. 

 When once the locality of the nest is discovered 

 the nest itself may easily be found by watching the 

 movements of the hen bird. She flies and hops 

 about in a small bush or tree over the nest, uttering 

 repeatedly a short whistle which might resemble 

 in sound pe-o, gradually getting nearer and nearer 

 her nest until almost quite over the site ; then she 

 drops quickly to the ground, enters the nest, and 

 the whistling ceases. When once the hen is thus 

 settled it takes much to frighten her out again. 

 The male has a curious shivering song, vibrating 

 his wings and tail while giving forth what is diffi- 

 cult to repeat ; but Mr. Howard Saunders, in his* 

 " Manual of British Birds," very aptly puts it down 

 as chit, chit, chit, chit, chitr, tr-tr-tr-tr-tr-tre. 



One of the surest signs of returning spring is the 



