506 BRITISH BIRDS. 



mountains of Western China. Examples from Darjeeling, where the rain- 

 fall is excessive, are very rufous and very dark, and represent the extreme 

 form. 



Troglodytes parvulus, var. fumigatus, is found in Japan and North 

 China. Examples from the south island of Japan are undistinguishable 

 from the paler examples from the Himalayas,, whilst those from the north 

 island are paler still. 



Troglodytes parvulus, var. alascensis, from the Pribiloff and Aleutian 

 islands, holds an intermediate position between the variety from the 

 Kurile Islands and 



Troglodytes parvulus, var. pacificus, which is found on the west of the 

 Rocky Mountains, and leads on through 



Troglodytes parvulus, var. hyemalis, from the east of the Rocky Moun- 

 tains, a form which is generally slightly more rufous and darker than 

 average examples of 



Troglodytes parvulus, var. borealis, from the Faroes, or the somewhat 

 paler typical form 



Troglodytes parvulus, from Europe, which is represented by a still paler 

 and greyer form, 



Troglodytes parvulus, var. neglectus, in Cashmere. 



Troglodytes parvulus, var. pallidus, from Turkestan, is the palest and 

 greyest variety ; but examples from Algeria are intermediate. 



There appears to be a perfect series from T. pallidus to 71 nipalensis ; 

 and the selection of any one of these to be dignified with a special name 

 seems to be arbitrary. There is not much variation in size ; but on an 

 average the island forms, contrary to usual experience, are slightly the 

 largest. 



The Wren is a resident bird in the British Islands. So closely associated 

 in youthful minds with the Robin, so prominent amongst the birds 

 gathered round our doors in the winter, the Wren is every one's 

 favourite. It is one of our most familiar birds, and will often enter 

 houses, old sheds, and out-buildings, hopping about with tail erect, without 

 any show of fear. But it is only in winter that the Wren is seen in any 

 numbers near houses ; for as soon as spring arrives it retires to the garden 

 or the woods to breed. No bird, not even excepting the Tits, is more 

 active than the Wren. It is rarely observed to remain stationary for two 

 minutes together ; it is a regular little busybody, exploring all the intri- 

 cacies of the cover, occasionally pausing a second to look round, or to 

 warble forth his little song. Ever and anon you catch a hurried glimpse 

 of it as, crouching low with tail erect, it jerks its head up and down and 

 seeks the deepest part of the cover. Now it twists in and out amongst 

 the gnarled roots, or even ventures to the topmost spray of the tree for a 

 moment, where it commences its wild joyous song. Then, as if alarmed 



