WILLOW-WREN. 433 



its cheerful carol, and indeed the bird is not whose strains 

 can be more aptly associated in the memory with all the 

 delights of returning spring. Passing by a plantation or 

 wood at that loveliest season of the year, one may meet at 

 every score or so of yards this sprightly little musician, 

 whose joyous burst of song is in fit harmony with the fresh- 

 ness of the hourly- expanding verdure, and is repeated time 

 after time until all around thrills with the loud and merry 

 chorus, for the strain can be heard at a very considerable 

 distance and the numerous performers are then in their 

 fullest vigour. Mr. Hewitson well says that " however 

 highly the rich melody of some of the other warblers may 

 be prized, there is a simplicity and a sweet cadence about 

 the note of this species, which never fails to excite within 

 me feelings of pleasure, which none but the lover of nature 

 can either appreciate or understand, but which are to him 

 amongst the chief enjoyments of his life." Nor is the 

 admiration which the Willow- Wren inspires confined to its 

 vocal powers. Its restless but graceful activity, the fear- 

 lessness with which it exposes itself to view as it flits from 

 twig to twig, and the still greater confidence it sometimes 

 displays, justly render it dear to all who care to study birds 

 as they live. 



The Willow- Wren frequents, for the most part, trees 

 of what growth or of what kind seems to matter little ; but 

 it may also be not seldom found contenting itself with the 

 thorns or furze of a common. It is lively and amusing in 

 its actions, continually searching for small insects and not 

 unfrequently capturing them on the wing in the pauses of 

 its song. It begins to build its nest soon after its arrival 

 in this country and betrays a singular amount of solicitude 

 on the spot being approached, coupled at the same time 

 with much disregard of its personal safety, for it will hop 

 from bough to bough or occupy a station within a few feet 

 of the intruder and attract his attention by a note of anxiety 

 or even distress, which somewhat resembles that of the 

 Chaffinch under similar circumstances. As the season ad- 

 vances and the Willow- Wren's cares are still more centred 



VOL. i. 3 K 



