520 British Willow Wrens. 



Specijic Character. — Belly and under tail-coverts white 

 tinged with yellow, in some birds the belly dull white ; closed 

 wings distant an inch from tip of tail ; first quill very short, 

 second of same length as, or a little longer than, the sixth, 

 third and fourth the longest, and of equal length, only the 

 third, fourth, and fifth quills having the outer webs sloped 

 towards the tips ; length hardly 5 J in. ; breadth 8 in. ; weight 

 about 5 drachms 1 2 grains. 



The female is generally rather smaller than the male, and 

 has not the plumage so bright. The young, on leaving the 

 nest, differ from the adults in being yellower on the under 

 parts, wings, and tail, and the bill and streak over the eye are 

 also more yellow. 



To distinguish this bird from the lesser pettychaps I found 

 often very difficult, previously to my discovering the difference 

 in the quills ; for the variance in the plumage and legs is some- 

 times very trifling, having met with yellow wrens with legs 

 nearly as dark as those of the pettychaps, and with males of 

 the latter with a plumage quite as bright as females of the 

 former. It is also sometimes very difficult to separate their 

 eggs, though the spots on those of the yellow wren are gene- 

 rally lightest. 



The yellow wren shows itself in Kent about the second 

 week in April, and appears to be more generally dispersed 

 through England and Wales than either of the other species. 

 It is the only one of the three that I have ever observed to 

 frequent gardens and orchards. 



Lesser Pettychaps (Sy'lvia hippola^is). {Jig, 126. c) 



Synonymes. — Lesser Pettychaps : Mont. Ornith. Diet. ; 

 Selb/s Br. Birds, pt.i. p. 186. pi. 47. f. 1. ChifF-chafF: Bew. 

 Br. Birds, ed. 1826, v. i. p. 258. 



I do not refer to the Bee-fin a poitrine jaune of Temminck, 

 believing it, from his description, particularly of the nest, to 

 be a different bird. 



Specific Character. — Belly and under tail-coverts like the 

 yellow wren ; closed wings distant about an inch from tip of 

 tail; first quill very short, second of same length as the 

 seventh; third, fourth, and fifth of equal length, and the 

 longest in the wing; third, fourth, fifth, and sixth quills 

 having their outer webs sloped towards the tips ; length 4f ; 

 breadth 1\ ; weight about 4 drachms 12 grains. 



The female has her colours duller than the male; while 

 the young have them brighter. In general plumage it greatly 

 resembles the yellow wren, but is not quite so much tinged 

 with green above or yellow beneath. The lesser pettychaps 



