Hilt of some Bush, utters its brief modulation, and 

 retirement again. Its chief habitation is some hedge in 

 the rick-yard, some cottage garden, or near society with- 

 man. Unobtrusive^ it does riot enter our dwellings like 

 ftie redbreast, but picks minute insects from the edges 

 of drains and ditches r or morsels from the door of the 

 poorest dwelling. ii> the village^ As an example of 

 household or domestic bird, none can be found withv 

 better pretensions to snch a character than the hedge- 

 sparrow. 



I always hear with delight the earliest chirpings of 

 that pretty harbinger of spring, the willow wren (mo- 

 tacilla trOchillus), trilling its wild and gleeful "chifF 

 chads," as it chases the insects round the branches- of 

 the old oak in the copse, or on the yellow catkins of 

 the sallow, itself almost like a colored catkin too. But 

 this elegant little bird is noticed only by the lovers and 

 frequenters of the country ; it animates the woods by 

 its constant activity; the frequent repetition of its most 

 cheerful modulation contributes essentially to the pleas- 

 ing harmony of the grove ; and its voice is most sprightly 

 and frequent, when the morning is illumined with one 

 ef those iwild, walk-enticing gleams, that render this- 

 short season the most delightful of our year. It builds- 

 its nest, and rears its young with us -; visits our gardens, 

 but is no plunderer there, living almost entirely upon 

 insect food ; and its whole life ia passed in harmlessness* 

 and innocencer As it is the earMest that arrives, so it 

 is- the last, I believe, of our feathered choir that leaves- 

 us, except a few lingering, irresolute swallows ; and we 

 hear it piping its final autumnal farewell even in Octo- 

 ber at times, and sporting with hilarity and jay, when- 

 all its congeners are departed. 



It is a difficult matter satisfactorily to comprehend" 

 the object of this bird in quitting another region, and 

 passing into our island. The chief motives for migra- 

 tion seem to be food, a milder clirnate r and quiet during 

 the period of incubation and rearing their young : but 

 the willow wren-, and some others of our insectivorous 

 birds, appear to have other purposes to accomplish by 

 'heir annual migrations. These little creatupes, the 



