. The animals of New Zealand; an account of the dominion's air-breathing vertebrates . ing with the third to the fifth quills nearlyequal and longest; the second rather shorter than the long, the feet rather strong. Tail short. Key to tlie Species. Breast grey. X. longipes. Breast tawny. X. gilviventris. Green Wren.—Matuhi. Xenicus green, top of the head purplish brown. Chin white, breastgrey, flanks and vent yellowish green. A broad white streak over theeye. Eye dark brown. Female—head and upper back, brown; lowerback, olive green; below, grey; the flanks and vent,
. The animals of New Zealand; an account of the dominion's air-breathing vertebrates . ing with the third to the fifth quills nearlyequal and longest; the second rather shorter than the long, the feet rather strong. Tail short. Key to tlie Species. Breast grey. X. longipes. Breast tawny. X. gilviventris. Green Wren.—Matuhi. Xenicus green, top of the head purplish brown. Chin white, breastgrey, flanks and vent yellowish green. A broad white streak over theeye. Eye dark brown. Female—head and upper back, brown; lowerback, olive green; below, grey; the flanks and vent, greenish over the eye as in the male. Length of the wing, ; of thetarsus, 1 in. Egg—White with irregular blotches at the thick Islands, in sub-alpine forests. The New Zealand green wren, like Jenny Wren, the Fair,is little but good. It is among the smallest of the birds of thisdominion, and it may often be seen creeping among the lichensand mosses that decorate the stem and branches of the forest. GREEN WRENBush Wren : male. Bush Wren : female. 121. Rock Wren. Green Wren. trees. It is lively, confident, and restless, and has a sharp of its time, apparently, is spent in niinnte investigationsinto the lichens and mosses. Mr. Potts has also seen it speciallybusily engaged where the level velvety surface of the ground 122 THE ANIMALS OP NEW ZEALAND has been disturbed and upturned by the strong claws of thewood hens. The nest is admirably hidden, generally amidst a quantity ofmoss. A typical one was found beneath the moss-covered rootsof a ribbon-wood tree. It was pouch-shaped, and had an openingnear the top. The sides were straightened with fern root care-fully interlaced and beautifully interwoven. It was so well•concealed that the entrance could hardly be seen.
Size: 1484px × 1684px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectb, booksubjectzoology
