( S ' * )
The Golden Wren. Regulus Criftatus. And common Wren. Paiier troglodites.
Numb. LIII.
TH IS is the lead o f all Birds found with us in England * its Length from the T ip o f the Bill
to the End o f the Tail, is three Inches and half a Quarter, Breadth when the Wings are extended,
fix Inches, Weight three Drams. The Top o f the Head is adorned with a moil beautiful
bright Spot or Creft o f a golden yellow, intermixt with a Saffron Colour. Hence it got thofe
ambitious Titles o f Regulus and fyrannus, little King or Tyrants it can when it lifts, by corrugating
its Forehead, and drawing the Sides o f the Spot together, wholly conceal its Cleft, and
render it invifible. It is o f an oblong Figure, and extended direétly thro’ the Middle o f the
iHead from the Bill towards the Neck. The Edges o f it on both Sides are yellow, and the whole
.is environed with a black Liner The Sides o f the Neck arc o f a lovely ihining yellowifh green
Colour .* the Eyes are encompafled with White * the Neck, and all the Back, from a dark green
incline to yellow s the Breaitis o f a-ibrdid white, the Wings are concave, not much unlike the
Chaffinch's Wings* the quill Feathers are eighteen, all o f a duiky Colour, only their exterior
Edges yellowifh, and their interior Edges whitifh; the Tips alfo o f the three next the Body are
white. The outermoft quill Feathers arc very fhort and little * the covert Feathers o f the firft
have white Tips, all together making a white Line crofs the Wing.
The Tail is madeup o f twelve Feathers iharp pointed, an Inch and a half long, notforcipate
afef a dusky Colouc, only the exteripr Borders o f the Feathers are o f a yellowifh green. ’
The Bill is; flender, flreight, black, ¡a quarter and half a quarter o f an Inch long; the Feet and
Claws yellowifh 5 .the Tongue long, fharp, and cloven ; the Irides o f the Eyes o ft Hazel Colour.
They lay fix or feven Eggs no bigger than large Peas* their Food is fmall Infers. My Lord
Trevor found one in his Garden, which built its Neftin a Y ew Tree near theHoufe.
The Length o f a common Wren, is four Inchesand half, breadthfix Inches and a half, Weight
three Drams and a half. • The Head, Neck and Back are o f a dark fpadiceous Colour, efpccially
the Rump and T a il* the Back, Wings and Tail are varied with crofs black Lines* the Throat
iis of a. pale yellow, the Middle o f the Breaft whiter : the lower Belly is o f a dufky red * the Tips
lofthefecond R ow o f Wing Feathers are marked with three or four Spots o f a yellowifh Colour,
as is alfo the Covert Feathers of the Tail. The number o f quill Feathers are eighteen * the
Tail, which for the moft Part it holds ereft, is made up o f twelve Feathers.
The Bill is half an Inch long, flender, yellowifh beneath, dufky above* the Mouth within fide
yellow, Irides o f the Eyes Hazel coloured * the outer Toes are faftned to the middle one as far
as the .firft Joint * it creeps about Hedges and Holes * it makes but fhort Flights, and i f driven
from the Hedges, may be eafily tired and run down.
I t builds its Neft fometimes by the Walls o f Houfes, in the Back-fides o f Stables, or other
Out-hoilfes covertd with Straw, but more commonly in Woods and Hedges, without o f Mofs,
within o f Hairs and Feathers. This Neft is of the Figure o f an E g g creft upon oneend, and hath
in the Middle o f the Side a Door or Aperture by which it goes in and out. Being kept tame,
it fings very fweetly, and with a higher and louder Voice than one would think for its Strength
and Biggefs, .and that efpecially in the Month o f May, for then it breeds: It lays nine or ten
frSS?» and fometimes more.
It is faid to be a fpccifick Remedy for the Stone in the Kidneys or Bladder being faltcd and
eaten raw* or being burnt and the Afhes o f one‘Bird taken in White Wine.