WOOD-WREN. 437 



Central and Southern Russiaj but does not appear to have been found east 

 of Kazan. Bogdanow records it from the latter locality^ and also obtained 

 an example in the Terek valley in autumn. Menetries also records it 

 from Lenkoran. Sabanaeffs remarks on its occurrence in the Uralj 

 quoted by Dresser^ appear to refer to the Icterine Warbler. It breeds in 

 Transylvania and in Turkey ; but in Greece, Asia Minor, and Palestine 

 it is only known as passing through on migration. To the rest of Europe 

 it is a regular summer visitor. It winters in North Africa, having been 

 found to the west as far south as the Grold Coast, and to the east as far 

 south as Abyssinia. A few appear to remain in Algeria to breed. 



Either the Wood-Wren, or its favourite food, appears to avoid the cool 

 damp summer of countries which come under the influence of the Gulf 

 Stream. It is difficult otherwise to harmonize its absence in Norway and 

 the north of Scotland, and its extreme rarity in Ireland, with its abundance 

 in the Baltic provinces and its occurrence in the wai'm dry summers of 

 Archangel. Its late arrival in this country also shows how careful it is to 

 avoid the storms of spring. It is possible that the true reason of this 

 peculiarity in the distribution of the "Wood-Wren is its objection to cross 

 the sea. In spite of its long and powerful wings, it apparently prefers to 

 migrate over the land as much as possible. In spite of its abundance in 

 the forests of Brunswick and Pomerania, where it seemed to me to be the 

 commonest of the three Willow-Warblers, it is comparatively rare on the 

 island of Heligoland. Whilst thousands of Willow- Wrens and Chiffchaffs 

 are seen on this isolated rock both in spring and autumn, Gaetke writes of 

 the Wood-Wren that " a solitary individual occurs rarely during the warm 

 days of May and August. It is seldom seen amongst the few shrubs and 

 trees which ornament the gardens of Heligoland, but almost always only 

 on the rocky cliffs which surround the island. This is somewhat remark- 

 able ; for such exclusively forest birds as Woodpeckers and Jays avail 

 themselves of the brushwood of the gardens, but the Wood- Wren does 

 not, for some reason or other preferring the naked cliffs." 



This bird arrives at its breeding-grounds in this country at least a fort- 

 night later than its congeners. Its charming song is rarely heard in the 

 woods and copses of Yorkshire until late in April. Then, when the trees 

 are just bursting into leaf and the woods are gay ^rith anemones and blue- 

 bells and other wild flowers, the Wood- Wren appears in great numbers. 

 On their first arrival only the long-drawn-out plaintive call-note is heard ; 

 but in a few days they are in full song. On a sunshiny early morning the 

 woods seem to be alive with them. They have just completed their spring 

 moult ; and, having waited for fine weather to cross the Mediterranean and 

 the British Channel, they arrive in our woods in marvellously perfect plu- 

 mage. In the early morning sun they look almost as delicate a yellowish 

 green as the half-grown leaves amongst which they disport themselves. 



