570 



WREN. 



are confluent, inclining to rust-colour ; their weight from eighteen to 

 twenty-two grains. 



This is not an uncommon species, having met with it in most parts 

 of the south of England and Wales, and as far westward as Cornwall. 

 It seems partial to oak and beech woods, where it may be found by its 

 singular note, which seems to express the word twee, drawn out to 

 some length, and repeated five or six times successively, terminating 

 with the same notes delivered in a hurried manner, at which time it 

 shakes its wings. This seems to be the extent of its song, the latter 

 part of which is chiefly left out after the breeding season. It is also 

 found in Germany, where it is likewise a migrative bird. Bech- 

 stein describes it in the twenty-seventh volume of Naturforscher, under 

 the title of Der Laubrogelchen, (little leaf-bird.) In the Leverian 

 Museum, case No. 271, we observed it inscribed green wren. -Vieillot 

 seems to think that he was the first who distinguished between this 

 and the hay bird, and proposes to call it Motacilla trochiloides ; but if he 

 had taken the trouble to look into Aldrovand or Willughby, he would 

 have found himself anticipated. 1 



WREN (Anorthura communis, Rennje.) 



* Troglodytes Europaeus, Cue. Reg. Anim. — Troglodytes vulgaris, Flem. Br. Anim. 



p. 73. — Sylvia Troglodytes, Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. p. 547. sp. 148 Motacilla 



Troglodytes, Linn. Syst. 1. p. 337. 46. — Gmel. Syst. 1. p. 993. sp. 46 Raii, 



Syn. p. 80. A. 11 Will. p. 164. t. 42. Regulus, Brhs. 3. p. 425.24 Le 



Troglodyte, Buff. Ois. 5. p. 352. t. 16. f. 1. — lb. pi. Enl. p. 631. f. 2 Troglo- 

 dyte ordinaire, Temm. Man.d'Orn. 1. p. 233 Zaun-Sanger, Meyer, Tasschenb. 



Deut. 1. p. 215. A.— Wren, Br. Zool. 1. No. 154 Arct. Zool. 2. No. 322.— 



Will. (Angl.) p. 229. t. 42 Lath. Syn. 4. p 506. 143.— Lewins Br. Birds, 



3. t. Ill Mont. Orn. Diet.— Wale. Syn. 2. . t. 242 Pult. Cat. Dorset, p. 



—Bewick's Br. Birds, 2. p. 227 Flem. Br. Anim. p. 13.—Selby, pi. 47. fig. 5. 



Provincial. — Vraun, or Ran. Cutty, Katy, or Kitty Wren. Kitty. 

 The name of Troglodyta, applied to the Wren by the older natura- 

 lists, and still continued by modern systematists, is derived from an 

 ancient race of people inhabiting Ethiopia, who dug hollow caves for 

 their habitations ; but though the term might apply well to the king- 

 fisher, the bank swallow, or other mining birds, it is but little appro- 

 priate to the Wren, which neither digs nor inhabits caverns, and might 

 as well be applied, as it is in Ainsworth's Dictionary, to the hedge- 

 sparrow ! It is indeed very usual for the Wren to build under the brow 

 of a river's bank, where the turf overhangs from being undermined by 

 the stream ; but the bird seems equally partial to the shelter afforded 

 by ivy on trees or walls, though it will often build under the fork of a 



1 Oiseaux Dores, i. p. 3. Note. 



