56 BIRDS BROWN ABOVE AND WHITE BELOW. 



appearance by which it may be distinguished by one 

 unacquainted with the three birds. Observation must 

 therefore be directed to its note — the only song it 

 has — a speech-like 'Chiff-chaff!' uttered from the 

 time it arrives late in March until May, and again 

 from September until it departs in October, though 

 some of the birds are well known to linger on in a 

 mild winter, especially in Devonshire and Cornwall. 

 Upon its arrival it frequents woods for shelter, but 

 soon builds its domed nest, often among the tangled 

 growth on a hedge-bank. It is seldom seen on the 

 ground, when feeding searching the ends of the twigs 

 in the manner of the Wood- Wren and Willow-Wren. 

 It is a restless, steadily working little bird, and when 

 not lost in the higher trees, which it affects more 

 than the Willow-Wren, it will afford occasional views 

 of its blackish legs and feet, thereby furnishing the 

 readiest means of distinguishing it from the Wood- 

 Wren and Willow- Wren, whose legs and feet are 

 brown. 



WOOD- WREN — 5J inches; upper parts greenish-yellow; 

 under parts white, except throat and sides of neck, 

 which are bright yellow ; conspicuous yellow eye-streak. 

 Song, a few clearly warhled notes, followed by a rapid, 

 prolonged trill. 



WILLOW- WREN— 5 inches; brighter both in the olive- 

 green upper and in the yellowish-white under parts ; 

 has clearer eye-streak. Call-note, ' Tui ! ' Song of about 

 fourteen notes ei^ually spaced, descending, dimiinuendo. 



WILLOW-WREN.— Plate 27. 5 inches. Upper 

 parts olive-green ; wing and tail feathers dusky, edged 

 with olive-green ; yellow eyebrow ; sides . of face and 



