106 



KEARTONS' NATURE PICTURES 



species, which lays white eggs marked 

 with dark purplish brown. 



WILLOW WBENS NEST. 



The Willow Wren is an insect eater 

 pure and simple, and as such renders 

 great service to the gardener. The 

 male helps the female to feed the chicks, 

 and the number of caterpillars, small 

 moths, flies, and other insects con- 

 sumed by the young birds in the 

 space of an hour is astonishing ; their 



appetite, indeed, appears to be in- 

 satiable. 



From observations made whilst watch- 

 ing a sparrow hawk feed her young, I 

 have come to the conclusion that great 

 numbers of fledgling Willow Wrens are 

 captured and carried away by this wily 

 marauder directly they leave the nest. 



This species is far more numerous 

 than its relatives, the wood wren and 

 the chiff chaff, and during a single breed- 

 ing season I may safely say that I 

 have found and been shown dozens of 

 nests in the woody gorges and ghylls 

 amongst the Westmorland and Cumber- 

 land Fells. 



Towards the end of July Willow 

 Wrens commence to retreat in a south- 

 erly direction, and may frequently be 

 seen searching flower and vegetable 

 gardens for insects, and during August 

 and September old and young wing 

 their way across the sea to their winter 

 quarters in Africa. 



