568 



WOOD WREN. 



months they are absent in a more southern climate. It is well known, 

 that all young- birds, without exception, at first mostly resemble the 

 parent female, and, by degrees, those of the male sex become more mas- 

 culine in plumage ; but the intermediate state partakes more or less of 

 both ; and in no instance is so totally unlike either as the bird in ques- 

 tion. If, on the other hand, the old birds of the red-backed species 

 were capable of such a change, that which characterizes the Wood 

 Shrike, would undoubtedly be their courting- garment ; those colours 

 which we noticed before as marks of maturity, would have been assumed 

 when the exhilarating passion of love and soft desire fired their little 

 breasts ; it is then and then alone, that every feather has its gaudiest 

 tint. With all these reflections, founded on the known laws of nature, 

 evinced by daily experience, we can have no more doubt of the 

 identity of these two shrikes as distinct species, than we have that they 

 are different from the butcher bird ; for there is not a greater difference 

 between them, than between the flusher and the Wood Shrike. 



This species is found in most parts of the European Continent, but 

 is rare in Holland ; and was found by Le Vaillant to be numerous in 

 Africa. Gmelin has given this as a mere variety of the flusher. 



WOOD SPITE.— A name for the Poppinjay. 



WOOD WREN {Sylvia sibilatrix, Bechstein.) 



* Sylvia sibilatrix, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 3. p. 561 lb. Tasschenb. Deut. p. 176. — 



Sylvia sylvicola, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp. 2. p. 53. sp. 1. — Linn. Trans. 4. p. 35. 

 — Curruca sibilatrix, Flem. Br. Anim. p. 70. — Regulus non Cristatus major, 

 Will. p. 164 — lb. (Angl.) p. 228.— Bee-fin siffleur, Temm. Man. d'Orn. 1. p. 

 223. — Griiner Sanger, Meyer, Tasschenb. Deut. l.p. 247. — Wood Wren, Linn. 



Trans. 2. p. 245. t. 24 Lath. Syn. 2. p. 237 Mont. Orn. Diet lb. Supp. 



— Sweet'sBr. Warbler, p. 10 Green Wren, Afljin, 2. t. 86. 6.— Larger Willow- 

 Wren, White's Hist. Selb. p. 55.— Yellow Willow-Wren, Bewick's Br. Birds, 

 1. p. 229.— Selby, pi. 47. fig. 2. p. 188. 



This bird remained long unnoticed as a distinct species, from its 

 resemblance to the hay -bird, (Sylvia trochilus,*) with which it is still 

 frequently confounded.* It measures in length five inches and a half ; 

 bill horn-colour; upper mandible bent at the tip, and rather longer 

 than the under ; irides hazel ; nostrils beset with bristles ; top of the 

 head, neck, back, and tail-coverts olive green; throat and cheeks yellow, 

 paler on the breast ; belly and vent of a most beautiful silvery white ; 

 through the eye passes a yellow line ; wings and coverts brown, edged 

 with green ; tail consisting of twelve feathers, rather forked, and of a 

 brown colour, edged with green on the exterior webs, and with white 

 on the interior, the first feather wanting the green edge ; under part of 

 the shoulder bright yellow ; legs rather more than an inch long, of a 

 horn-colour ; claws paler. 



