WRENS. 



COMMON WREN. Plate 61. Length, 3$ inches. 

 Upper parts brown, becoming ruddier towards the 

 tail, and barred across with dark brown ; stripe over 

 the eye, face, throat, and breast whitish ; sides of body 

 ruddy, barred with dark brown ; bill sharp-pointed, 

 brown ; legs lighter brown. Resident 



Eggs. 6-8, white, with reddish spots at the larger 

 end; '67 * '5 inch (plate 126). 



Nest. Globular, with entrance at the side, made 

 of dead leaves, or moss, or grass, some lined with 

 feathers, some without lining, and placed against ivy- 

 clad walls and trees, among roots exposed by landslips 

 in banks, in bushes, thatch, hay-stacks, and many 

 other secret nooks and niches. 



Distribution. General 



The Common Wren and the Golden-Crested Wren 

 are the smallest British breeding birds, and although 

 their common name of Wren denotes no near re- 

 lationship, they are here classed together solely 

 because of their size. The Common Wren is a 

 rotund little fellow, generally to be found creeping 

 among the intricacies of tangles of dead wood or a 

 hedge-bottom. Although secretive, he seems to be 

 under some compulsion to cross from hedge to hedge 

 just before one comes abreast of him, and as he 

 does so the tiny ruddy -brown creature, with his 



