518 British Willow Wrens. 
which last word, or florikin, the flercher of the text is, per- 
haps, amisprint. The “bristles” are eight (or nine) feathers, 
webbed only at the tip, which spring, not from the “ ears,” 
but from the lower part of the cheek, or rather from the sides 
of the chin, two of them 7 or 8 in. in length, curling upward 
and outward, the rest shorter and only bending. The greater 
quills are remarkably short, and, in both this and the churj, 
are pointed. ‘The down, as in the churj, is of a pink colour. 
These birds vary extremely in the distribution of the black, 
and of the white or light cream-colour on the wing-coverts 
and under parts, two of them being seldom found exactly 
alike in this respect. Length from bill to tail, 17in. ; to claws, 
21in.; the neck being a little shorter than that of the churj. 
The Black-headed Bustard (O*tis indica) (p. 304.) must be 
rare, or its habitat confined. I never heard of it. 
The White-chinned Bustard (O'tis indica) seems greatly 
to resemble the churj or florican, the chin of which is also 
whitish ; the size, however, is not given, and it is said to have 
the crown and band on sides of head black,” which the churj 
has not. I remain, Sir, yours, &c. 
Jan. 26. 1830. A SUBSCRIBER. 
Art. VI. Some Observations on the British Willow Wrens. 
By. T. F. 
Sir, 
Tue difficulty of clearly distinguishing the willow wrens, 
under which general appellation I include the wood and 
yellow wrens, and the lesser pettychaps, though the term 
willow wren is very frequently applied to the yellow wren 
only, has induced me to bring together some practical observ- 
ations, which I trust will be acceptable to many of the 
readers of your Magazine. I consider that there are but few 
naturalists who have been acquainted with the different man- 
ners and distinctive characters of the willow wrens; and of 
those who have published their remarks I can only safely 
refer to Montagu and Selby; but even their specific dis- 
tinctions I have sometimes found insufficient to distinguish 
the yellow wren and lesser pettychaps; and I have conse- 
quently been driven to seek for more certain characters. 
Latham and other authors have evidently confused them. 
Bewick, however, in his last edition (1826), has correctly 
figured and described them. I shall apply the Latin names 
as they are now generally used, rather than puzzle my readers 
with new ones, although I am aware there are doubts as to 
their correctness. 
