THE SECRET OF THE WILLOW WREN 127 



Burns to write his " Address to a Wood-lark." 

 The tree pipit is often called by that name in 

 Scotland, where the true wood-lark is not found. 



stay, sweet warbling wood-lark, stay, 

 Nor quit for me the trembling spray, 

 A hopeless lover courts thy lay, 

 Thy soothing, fond complaining. 



Again, again that tender part, 

 That I may catch thy melting art ; 

 For surely that would touch her heart 

 Who kills me wi' disdaining. 



Say, was thy little mate unkind, 

 And heard thee as the passing wind ? 

 nocht but love and sorrow joined 

 Sic notes o' wae could waken ! 



Thou tells o' never-ceasing care, 

 0' speechless grief and dark despair; 

 For pity's sake, sweet bird, nae mair, 

 Or my poor heart is broken ! 



Much more could be said about these and other 

 species in the passerine order that have some re- 

 semblance, distinct or faint, to the human voice 

 in their singing notes — an echo, as it were, of our 

 own common emotions, in most cases simply glad 

 or joyous, but sometimes, as in the case of the tree- 

 pipit, of another character. And even those species 

 that are furthest removed from us in the character 



