

THE WILLOW-WREN. 



69 



insects, lightly stirring the leaves, and shaking 

 the flower-bells as they pass along. The willow- 

 wren does not build its nest in the trees, but on 

 the ground. It is composed of moss and dried 

 grass, and lined with hair and feathers. If you 

 should discover a nest before the young birds 

 are hatched, you will find in it six white eggs, 

 beautifully spotted with red. But do not put 

 your finger on either the nest or eggs, for so 

 keen is the sensibility of this little bird, that if the 

 nest has been touched in her absence, she dis- 

 covers it, and immediately deserts it, to build 

 another: fearful, it should seem, that he who 

 has visited her nest to examine her eggs, may 

 come again when they are hatched, to destroy 

 her young ones, or carry them into captivity. 



To the scientific friend from whom we have ob- 

 tained the details of the furze-wren, we are in- 

 debted for the following note on the varieties of 

 the willow-wren : 



" Bewick mentions three sorts of willow-wrens, 

 and White (in his History of Selborne) gives 

 interesting descriptions of these birds, but I think 

 it requires further investigation. I have taken 

 much pains' to ascertain the fact, and cannot de- 

 cide quite on there being three sorts. The yel- 

 low willow-wren is properly enough described : 

 it is larger, and much yellower in colour, than the 



