THE ST. KILDA WREN. 71 



all my life, as such experience naturally affects my 

 value as an observant witness. 



I procured an adult male in St. Kilda, and found 

 that it measured, from the point of its bill to the 

 tip of its tail, exactly four and a quarter inches, 

 and a specimen of the same sex in the South of 

 England which was four inches in length. The 

 beak, legs, toes and claws of the St. Kilda bird 

 are a trifle stronger and lighter in colour, and the 

 plumage generally much paler and more distinctly 

 marked. This is especially noticeable on the back, 

 which is barred transversely with greyish and dark 

 brown where the mainland bird is reddish brown 

 with indistinct bars of a darker hue. 



Its carriage and appearance are somewhat 

 different, as it rarely, if ever, cocks its tail at 

 that acute angle so characteristic of the Common 

 Wren. In fact, it more often carries it as much 

 depressed as that of a quiescent Meadow Pipit, 

 even when singing. Its song is of about the same 

 duration as that of the mainland bird, viz. from 

 five to six seconds; is louder, less metallic, and 

 much oftener uttered on the wing. I sometimes 

 heard it within a few inches of my ear whilst 

 standing perfectly still in a cleit for purposes of 

 observation. I never once heard that familiar jar- 

 ring note of alarm or anger so common in other 

 parts of the British Isles where Wrens are to be 

 met with. 



I examined five nests, two with eggs in, one 

 lined with feathers ready to receive them, and two 

 " cocks' nests." Both the latter I found myself ; 

 and as I had very good reason to believe that 

 neither of them had been touched by human hands, 

 I measured the aperture in each, and found it to 

 be one and five- eighth inches in horizontal diameter ; 



