Familiar Studies of Wild Birds 



driving her away. After having been dis- 

 turbed a good many times, however, she would 

 grow tired of this game and leave. Almost 

 immediately the male would appear, pouring 

 forth one of his harmonious strains. Before 

 he had repeated it many times, his conscience- 

 stricken mate would usually come hopping 

 submissively back, take a few sly peeps at me, 

 and resume her duties of incubation. Once 

 or twice when her patience was tried to the 

 extreme, causing her to remain absent unusu- 

 ally long, the male became particularly agi- 

 tated, and attempted to drive his reluctant 

 mate back by darting at her, while continuing 

 at the same time to sing in a beseeching strain. 

 She was not long in obeying, and then with a 

 few final notes of music as if to impress on 

 her the urgency of staying at home, he de- 

 parted. Any description of a bird's song is 

 unsatisfactory, but it may be mentioned that 

 the song of the rock wren begins somewhat 



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