Alfred Newton

“ The willow-wren proper, P. trochilus, is in many parts of Great Britain the commonest summer-bird, and is the most generally dispersed. The third species, P. collybita or minor (frequently but most wrongly called Sylvia rufa or P. rufus) , commonly known as the chiffchaff, from the peculiarity of its constantly repeated two-noted cry, is very numerous in the S. and W. of England, but seems to be scarcer N. These three species make their nest upon or very close to the ground, and the building is always domed. ”

“ Wrens have the bill slender and somewhat arched: their food consists of insects, larvae and spiders, but they will also take any small creatures, such as worms and snails, and occasionally eat seeds. The note is shrill. The nest is usually a domed structure of ferns, grass, moss and leaves, lined with hair or feathers, and from three to nine eggs are produced, in most of the species white. ”