WREN. 99 



contrariwise persecuted, for reasons hereafter to be 

 mentioned, with unrelenting ferocity. 



The Wren is widely distributed in the Old World, 

 ranging from Scandinavia in the north to Algeria in the 

 south ; and it is remarkable that Europe, Asia, and 

 Africa present us with but this one specimen of the 

 group of birds to which it belongs, the bird called the 

 Northern Wren occurring only in Iceland, the Faroes, 

 and a few other islands. It has been thought by Mr. 

 Seebohm and others that the Wren in the island of 

 St. Kilda differs in some particulars from that of the 

 mainland. It has, however, I believe, been decided by 

 most ornithologists that these differences are insufficient 

 to constitute it a distinct species. The active figure of 

 the hardy little Wren may be seen, and its loud and 

 cheerful song heard, in every lane and hedgerow, and 

 by every cottage-side, in Ireland. 



The song of the Wren somewhat resembles that of 

 the Canary, and is wonderfully loud for so small a bird. 

 It is usually uttered from the topmost twig in the 

 hedge, through which the bird has been, mouse-like, 

 threading its way, and, when ended, the little warbler 

 again disappears for a time. I seldom hear a Wren 

 without remembering the late Chief Justice Whiteside's 

 definition of a true orator " He has something to say ; 

 he says it, and then at once sits down." The Wren's 

 cry of alarm sounds something like " chit, chit," uttered 

 in a sustained chattering tone, and hence probably the 

 sobriquet, "Kitty" Wren, sometimes given to the bird. 

 Although by no means similar, I constantly find people 

 who are unable to distinguish between the songs of the 

 Hedge Sparrow, Wren, and Willow Warbler. 



