98 A SWEET-VOICED WREN. 



queer sidewise flourish of his tail, which is quite 

 long for so small a bird, and apparently a little 

 unwieldy. 



But his song ! It is exquisite. He seems to 

 say : " Sw-e-e-t^ sw-e-e-t^ very^ v-e-e-r-y sw-e-e-t I " You 

 must remember, however, that no two syllables are 

 uttered in the same way ; each consists of several 

 different notes on the musical staff', run together 

 with a sweet, melodious slur. The opening notes 

 are clear and dulcet, delivered with a kind of 

 swinging movement difficult to describe, while in 

 the middle and toward the close of the song there 

 are several strains that grow more enchanting the 

 oftener you hear them. Withal, it is a joyful little 

 lay ; the bird is evidently no pessimist. 



There may be other wrens whose voices have 

 more volume, but I doubt whether there is one in 

 whose song you will hear more real melody. The 

 vocal performances of the Carolina wren, varied as 

 they are, seem quite harsh in comparison. Bewick's 

 Avren is also an early riser. Sometimes in the 

 half-wakeful, half-dreamful hours of the morning 

 liis matin song floats into my window, running 

 like a thread of gold through the chirping of the 

 sparrows, the sighing of the bluebirds, and the 

 carols of the robins. 



