504 BRITISH BIRDS. 



Genus TROGLODYTES. 



The genus Troglodytes was established in 1807 by Vieillot, in his 

 ' Histoire naturelle des Oiseaux de J^Amerique Septentrionale/ ii. p. 52^ 

 for the reception of the American House-Wren {Troglodytes aedon) . Some 

 ornithologists^ M'ith a perseverance which is almost inconceivable, have 

 been pedantic enough not only to try and make this species the type, but 

 to exclude the European Wren from the genus. It seems to me that there 

 can be no doubt that Vieillot, in adopting the specific name which Linnaeus 

 gave to the European Wren for his new genus, thereby confessed that 

 bird to be the type, though the modern idea of a " type " was unknown 

 to him. 



The Wrens are intermediate between the Creepers and the Goldcrests 

 in the shape of the bill, which is somewhat long, slender, and slightly 

 curved. Their wings are much concaved, and the bastard primary is very 

 large. The tarsi are scutellated. The Old-world species have short tails ; 

 but in some of the American species the tail is as long as the wing. 



The geographical range of this genus is somewhat more extensive than 

 that of the other genera in the subfamily, being throughout the central 

 and southern portions of the Palfearctic and Nearetic regions, extending 

 into the extreme north of the Oriental and throughout the Neotropical 

 regions. No fewer than twentj^-four species and subspecies of this genus 

 have been described ; but probably not more than half a dozen are worthy 

 of specific rank. One species only occurs in Europe, having a dark pluvial 

 form on the Faroes, and represented by a pale desert form in Algeria. 



The Wrens are Timeliine in their habits, skulking in underwood, and 

 without undulation in their flight. They are partly insectivorous and 

 partly graminivorous. They build domed nests ; but their eggs are like 

 those of the true Tits, white spotted with red. 



