COMMON WREN. 
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active in their manners. They lose, however, in a 
great measure, the true scansorial habits, but cling 
to sticks or buildings, and thread their way 
through any entangled heap with facility. They 
may be thus characterized,— 
Troglodytes, Linn Generic characters 
Bill slender, compressed, slightly curved ; 
wings short, rounded, fourth and fifth quills 
longest ; tail short ; tarsi and toes rather 
long, outer toe connected to the middle, 
inner free, claws on anterior toes slender, 
hinder claws lengthened. 
Type, T. Europeus. 
Note. — Europe, America. 
THE COMMON WREN. 
Troglodytes Europeus Cuviek. 
PLATE XXIII. 
Motacilla troglodytes, Will, linn Sylvia troglodytes, 
lath. — Troglodytes Europeus, Cuv. — Wren, or 
Common Wren, of British authors. 
This very active and hardy little bird is very 
continuously distributed over the British Islands, 
being resident in some of the northern isles ; 
while out of Britain it reaches even to the arctic 
circle.* The Wren is a favourite bird with most 
* Temminck. 
2 A. 
