198 WAKE-ROBIN 



one day's standing. I will say, in passing, that 

 there are no bachelors from choice among the birds; 

 they are all rejected suitors, while old maids are 

 entirely unknown. There is a Jack to every Jill; 

 and some to boot. 



The males, being more exposed by their song and 

 plumage, and by being the pioneers in migrating, 

 seem to be slightly in excess lest the supply fall 

 short, and hence it sometimes happens that a few 

 are bachelors perforce ; there are not females enough 

 to go around, but before the season is over there are 

 sure to be some vacancies in the marital ranks, 

 which they are called on to fill. 



In the mean time the wrens were beside them- 

 selves with delight; they fairly screamed with joy. 

 If the male was before "ruffled with whirlwind of 

 his ecstasies," he was now in danger of being rent 

 asunder. He inflated his throat and caroled as 

 wren never caroled before. And the female, too, 

 how she cackled and darted about! How busy they 

 both were! Eushing into the nest, they hustled 

 those eggs out in less than a minute, wren time. 

 They carried in new material, and by the third day 

 were fairly installed again in their old quarters; but 

 on the third day, so rapidly are these little dramas 

 played, the female bluebird reappeared with another 

 mate. Ah ! how the wren stock went down then ! 

 What dismay and despair filled again those little 

 breasts! It was pitiful. They did not scold as 

 before, but after a day or two withdrew from the gar- 

 den, dumb with grief, and gave up the struggle. 



