Byitish Song Birds, 119 



air of melancholy to his notes, they seeming more like a shi- 

 vering complaint than the joyous swell of a song. The season, 

 too, in which his song is most noticed adds to the cheerless 

 character of his strains. 



Besides the regular song of the redbreast, they use calls of 

 want, satisfaction, and fear. On the approach of the viper, 

 stoat, weasel, fox, cat, or other strange animal, they give a 

 short note of alarm ; and at the sight of the hawk they fly to 

 shelter, uttering a long shrill scream of fear. I believe both 

 sexes sing; but it is entirely their domineering pugnacious 

 character which causes them to vociferate all their feelings in 

 the semblance of song. In this respect the redbreast is ex- 

 actly like the domestic cock. 



The next to be noticed is one equally well known as the 

 preceding, because both are " sacred to the household gods," 

 namely, the Common Wren (Sylvia Troglodytes). Here we 

 have a very different character, one of the smallest and most 

 vivacious of birds : familiar without impudence, busy and bust- 

 ling in action, and extremely gallant in manners ; so much so, 

 indeed, that every mild and sunny day in winter reminds him 

 of la Jour de noces, and excites him to pour forth his gay and 

 lively song. This, though short, is full of variety and spright- 

 liness : it is a burst of joy, rapturous and loud ; beginning 

 high, and graduated down to rather more than an octave 

 below, and repeated at intervals of about a minute or two. 

 The song of the wren is heard from a month before the 

 breeding season till it is quite over ; and, as they commonly 

 breed twice in the year, they sing for at least seven months. 

 So audibly loud is the song, that it may be easily distinguished 

 even in full chorus ; and it is astonishing that so small a bird 

 should have such powers of voice. The wren has also a 

 curious note of fear, resembling the winding up of a clock ; 

 and his birring note of rebuke over the prowling cat, or pry- 

 ing owl, is most provokingly teasing. 



We now come to the smallest British bird, viz. the Gold- 

 crested Wren { Sylvia i^egulus). The song of this little chorister 

 has been aptly compared to that of a fairy. It is a short strain, 

 repeated at short intervals ; weak, yet agreeable ; sung in- 

 wardly, in such a manner that, though the tiny warbler may 

 be in the nearest bush, the notes seem to come from a con- 

 siderable distance ; but it can only be heard when near, except 

 in very calm weather. It sings only in the spring months ; 

 and is most frequently seen in that season among the lower 

 branches of fir trees, where it seeks its food, and every now 

 ^nd then warbles its fairy strain. 



Another warbler is the Hedge Sparrow (Sylvia mod ularis). 



I 4 



