WOOD WREN. 



569 



The female is rather larger, weighing about three drams ; the plu- 

 mage exactly like the male. 



*" I have never," says Sweet, " observed it in any other situation than 

 amongst tall trees, in woods or plantations, where it is readily detected 

 on its arrival, by its shrill shaking sort of note, which may be heard at 

 a great distance, and cannot be confounded with the song of any other 

 bird. When it first arrives, it continues to sing nearly all day long, and 

 its song is continued more or less through most part of the summer, 

 except the time that it is engaged in feeding its young ; it is then dis- 

 covered by a dull mournful sort of call, quite different from that of any 

 other bird. It may be easily watched to its nest, which is built on the 

 ground, in a thicket of small bushes, and consists of moss and dried 

 leaves, with a covering at the top of the same materials, so that it is 

 scarcely possible to discover it, without watching the old birds to it, 

 either when they are building, or carrying food to their young. I be- 

 lieve they are to be found in most woods and large plantations in sum- 

 mer. I have frequently heard them in Kensington Gardens amongst 

 the tall trees, and have known it as long as I have known any thing 

 about birds; it being plentiful in the woods of R. Bright, Esq., of Karm- 

 green, near Bristol ; where it was known when I was a boy, by the 

 name of the shaking bird of the wood, from its singular note, which 

 sounds as if it was shaking as it utters it, and which it really is, as may 

 be readily seen by any person who will take the trouble to notice it."* 



The Wood Wren is a migrative species, appearing with us first about 

 the latter end of April, the females ten days or a fortnight later, and de- 

 parting again in September. The reason this bird has been so little noticed 

 as a distinct species, is its great similitude to the hay -bird, with which 

 it has been confounded, and probably likewise with the chiff-chafF. 

 But its superior size to the latter, and the pure whiteness of the under 

 tail coverts, are characteristic marks of distinction ; which part in both 

 the others is tinged with yellow ; the colour of the upper parts is also 

 much more vivid, and the stroke above the eye brighter yellow. It 

 differs also from those birds in manners and habits : this is found to 

 inhabit the woods only in the breeding season. The nest is placed on 

 the ground, in form like that of both the other birds, being oval, with a 

 small hole near the top, constructed of dry grass, a few dead leaves, and 

 a little moss ; and invariably lined with finer grass and a few long hairs. 

 The other species always line their nests with feathers. * Mr. Sweet 

 (a high authority on such a subject) informs me, that he has often 

 found the nest on the trunk of a tree.* The eggs are six in number, 

 white, sprinkled all over with purplish spots. In some these markings 



