BRITISH BIRDS. 45 



away trom these. Nest : commenced in April, usually in a 

 hole in the trunk or larger limbs of a tree, the entrance 

 being plastered with clay to reduce it to size of bird ; nest 

 merely a few leaves, flakes of bark, etc. Eggs : 5 to 8 ; 

 white, spotted or blotched with reddish-brown ; size 78 by 

 56. Food : beech-mast, acorns and nuts, latter being 

 placed in a crevice and broken by repeated strokes from 

 the bill. Frequents upper branches of tall trees, the male 

 in spring uttering a loud whistling tui, tui, tui. 



Family Troglodytidee. 



GENUS XXItl. TROGLODYTES, Vieillot (1807}, 

 Bill moderately long, slender, pointed, very slightly 

 decurved ; wings short, rounded ; tail short ; tarsus 

 rather long ; hind toe large ; claws long, hooked ; 

 plumage lax. 



56. Troglodytes troglodytes (Linn.). WREN. 



Hab. Europe, north to Sweden and North Russia ; also 

 Asia Minor, Persia, and extreme north of Africa. 



Male : above light reddish-brown, with numerous trans- 

 verse dark brown bars ; above eye a dull whitish line ; 

 primaries barred with reddish-buff and blackish-brown on 

 the outer webs ; throat dull white ; under parts pale 

 brown, barred with darker brown on the sides ; bill dark 

 brown above, pale below ; iris hazel ; tarsi, brown. 

 Length 375. Female : slightly smaller and much 

 browner on throat and breast. 



Resident and common throughout British Isles. 

 Frequents exposed as well as wooded situations. Domed 

 nest is placed in hedges, bushes, ivy on trees or walls, or in 

 haystacks ; in the last case I have found it to be made of 

 hay externally, but it is usually built of moss and dead 



