160 IN THE MIDDLE COUNTRY. 



to do so if I never knew her name. Time 

 enough for formal introductions later in our 

 acquaintance, I thought, and if it happened 

 that we never met again, what did I care how 

 she was named in the books ? 



I did not at first even suspect her identity, 

 for who would expect to find the great Carolina 

 wren a personage of less than six inches ! even 

 though he were somewhat familiar with the 

 vagaries of name-givers, who call one bird after 

 the cat, whom he in no way resembles, and an- 

 other after the bull, to whom the likeness is, 

 if possible, still less. What was certain was 

 that the nest belonged to wrens, and was admir- 

 ably placed for study ; and what I instantly 

 resolved was to improve my acquaintance with 

 the owners thereof. 



The little opening in the woods, which be- 

 came the Wren's Court, when their rank was 

 discovered, was a most attractive place, shaded 

 enough to be pleasant, while yet leaving a 

 goodly stretch of blue sky in sight, bounded on 

 one side by immense forest trees walnut, but- 

 ternut, oak, and others which looked as if 

 they had stood there for generations; on the 

 other side, the babbling stream, up and down 

 which the kingfisher flew and clattered all day. 

 One way out led to the thicket where a wood- 

 thrush was sitting in a low tree, and the other, 



