WOOD- WREN. 429 



The Wood- Wren, though everywhere an exceedingly local 

 species, is found not uncommonly in wooded districts, pre- 

 ferring old plantations and woods containing tall trees, 

 particularly those of oak or beech. The males begin their 

 loud song, which when known to the observer is quite un- 

 mistakable, soon after their arrival, and may frequently be 

 heard from a lofty elm in a hedge-row. The note resembles 

 the word "twee," sounded very long, and repeated several times 

 in succession, at first but slowly, afterwards much quicker, 

 and near the end accompanied by a peculiar tremulous motion 

 of the wings, which are lowered by the side. This melody 

 is also occasionally uttered while the bird is on the wing 

 from one place to another ; but in the pauses of the strain 

 and at uncertain intervals there comes another kind of call, 

 which has been syllabled "chea" "chea" "chea". The song 

 is continued only till the young are hatched, and the bird is 

 said to leave this country in September. 



The Wood- Wren neither eats fruit nor berries ; its food 

 appears to be insects and their larvae : some are taken on 

 the wing, and others are sought for among the upper foliage 

 of trees. The nest is oval, and, as above stated, domed, 

 always placed on the ground among herbage, and formed of 

 dry grass, dead leaves and some moss, invariably lined with 

 finer grass and long hairs, but without feathers, which are 

 used as bedding by the other species of this genus which 

 breed in this country, and this fact serves to distinguish 

 their nests, which are also commonly placed on the ground, 

 from that of the Wood- Wren. 



This bird lays six eggs, of a transparent white, thickly 

 spotted and speckled all over with dark purple-brown and a 

 few markings of ash-colour; they measure from '7 to *61 by 

 from '52 to *46 in. 



The Wood- Wren breeds in all the counties of England 

 and Wales, but in the west of Cornwall, according to Mr. 

 Kodd, it has only been seen once. In the north of England, 

 and especially in certain parts of Yorkshire and Durham, 

 it would seem to be more abundant than elsewhere in the 

 kingdom. In Scotland it is known to breed regularly in the 



