British Willotv Wrens. 519 



Wood Wren (Sy'lvia Sylvi^cola). (Jig, 126. a.) 



Synoni/mes. — Wood Wren : Mont. Ornith. Diet.; Selby's 

 Br. Ornith., pt.i. p. 188. pi. 47. f.2. Yellow Wren, or Wood 

 Wren : Bew. Br. Birds, ed. 1826, v. i. p. 255. Bee-fin Sif- 

 fleur (Sylvia sibilatrix) : Temm. Man. d'Ornith., ed. 2. p. 223. 



Specific Character, — Belly and under tail-eoverts pure 

 white ,* elosed wings reaehing nearly to within half an inch of 

 the tip of tail ; first quill very short, the seeond a trifle longer 

 than the fifth, third and fourth the longest, and of equal or 

 nearly equal length ; length 5i in. ; breadth 8^ in. ; weight 

 about 5 drachms 20 grains (avoirdupois). 



The wood wren may be easily known from the other two 

 by the greater brightness of its colours, and the more distinct 

 line over the eye. Both sexes are similar in plumage, and I 

 believe the young to resemble their parents. The eggs are 

 said by Montagu to be white spotted with purplish, and by 

 Selby with purplish red ; but those I have seen I should de- 

 scribe as white, with numerous rusty brown spots, in some 

 the spots of a blackish brown. On account of the greater 

 darkness of the spots, the eggs may be easily known from 

 those of the yellow wren and lesser petty chaps. I have met 

 with the wood wren sparingly in Kent, where it appears about 

 the 20th of April. It is plentiful in North Wales. The 

 habits, nest, and note of this bird, as well as of the other two, 

 will be found correctly given by Montagu and Selby, and I 

 shall not repeat their descriptions. 



Yellow Wren (Sy'lvia Tro'chilus). {Jig, 126. b,) 

 Synonymes, — Yellow Wren : Mont. Ornith. Diet. ; Selby's 

 Br. Ornith., pt.i. p. 189. pi. 47. f. 3. Willow Wren : Br. 

 Zool. folio, p. 101. pi. S. f.2.; Bew. Br. Birds, ed. 1826, v. i. 

 p. 257. Bee-fin Pouillor ; Temm. Man. d'Ornith., 2d edit, 

 p. 224. 



