J5EWICK S WREN. 97 



well known for his admirable talents as an engraver on wood, and for his 

 beautiful work on the Birds of Great Britain, to need any eulogy of 

 mine. I enjoyed the pleasure of a personal acquaintance with that gen- 

 tleman, and found him at all times a most agreeable, kind, and benevolent 

 friend. 



The little twig on which the Wren is perched, is from the tree com- 

 monly called the Iron-wood Tree, a species of Elm, the wood of which 

 is very hard and of close texture. The branches, and sometimes the 

 stem, are ornamented with longitudinal expansions, resembhng cork in 

 their nature, but much harder. 



Troglodytes Bewickii. 



Adult Male. Plate XVIII. 



Bill nearly as long as the head, subulato-conical, acute, slightly 

 arched, compressed. Mandibles of equal breadth, with acute margins, 

 the gap line a little arched, and slightly deflected at the base. Nostrils 

 basal, oval, half closed by a membrane. Feet longish, proportionally 

 rather robust ; tarsus anteriorly scutellate, compressed, acute behind, 

 longer than the middle toe ; toes free, scutellate above, the lateral ones 

 nearly equal, the posterior long ; claws slender, compressed, acute, arch- 

 ed, that of the hind toe much larger. 



Plumage rather compact above, blended beneath. Wings short, very 

 convex, rounded ; first quill short, third and fourth longest. Tail erect, 

 long, of ten feathers, much rounded, the outer feather not more than 

 half the length of the middle one, all rounded at the end. 



Bill blackish-brown above, pale blue beneath. Iris brown. Feet and 

 claws pale brown. The general colour of the upper parts is rusty brown, 

 that of the lower greyish-blue. Quills and wing-coverts barred with 

 rusty brovra and black, as are the two middle tail-feathers. Outer web 

 of the lateral tail-feather, and the terminal portion of that of the others, 

 whitish, barred with black, their middle parts black, toward the base 

 barred with rusty brown. A line of pale brownish-yellow extending 

 from the upper mandible, over the eye, to half way down the neck. The 

 rump feathers white towards their base, with central spots. 



Length 5 inches, extent of wings 6^ ; beak along the ridge J, along 

 the gap I ; tarsus Z^, middle toe }^, hind toe ^\. 



G 



