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THE WILLOW WREN. 

 (Phylloscopus trochilus.) 



THIS bird is called the Willow Wren because it loves the 

 willow trees, the leaves of which, both in form and 

 colour, are adapted to hide and protect it. 



Its nest is well hidden, being often placed near the 

 ground, under overhanging grasses and bushes, and 

 built of materials found immediately around the chosen 

 site; it can only be discovered by the eyes of ail 

 experienced bird-nester. It is covered over. The clutch 

 consists of five or six little white eggs, speckled with 

 reddish-brown. 



It is a lively, active bird, that likes to frequent the tops 

 of trees in thick woods, where it hops briskly from twig 

 to twig, and is never still. But neither its colour nor its 

 movements betray its presence and nature as does its 

 voice, w 7 hich is really extraordinarily strong and far- 

 reaching, considering how tiny is the singer, and still 

 more tiny its vocal organ. Its song is heard in spring, 

 and sounds like Zilp-Zalp, Zilp-Zalp, and so on. Its 

 busy call-note is Whit, whit! It feeds on the insects 

 which it finds on the trees. In autumn, when starving, 

 it eats elder-berries and such things, but does no harm 

 whatever. As a loud harbinger of spring, and a bringer 

 of glad-tidings we welcome and protect it. 



About the first week in April the Willow Wren comes 

 to us in England, where it is the commonest of the 

 three small greenish-yellow Warblers that come to us 

 the Chiff-chaff and the Wood Wren are its congeners. 

 Owing to the shape of its domed nest it has been given 



