April 



finishing, he never fails to introduce his characteristic 

 rattle. It is a rousing, manly performance for so 

 small a bird, and if it lacks the inventiveness of the 

 robin's song, it is, like his, restricted to no time or 

 season, but is readily raised to greet a winter sun, 

 besides serving to alleviate the great silence which 

 falls upon the finer songsters as autumn approaches. 

 In summer his is ever the first song of the day, 

 delivered with startling vigour and completeness at 

 the first streak of dawn. 



The wren is widely distributed, few situations 

 coming amiss to him from hill to plain, whether in 

 association with man, or in entire independence of 

 him. One fell enemy, however, keeps a strict check 

 upon the multiplication of this highly prolific bird 

 the frost ; and as even this often fails to drive him 

 from his quarters, it is beyond doubt that vast 

 numbers yearly fall victims to starvation ; for, with 

 all his adaptability in other respects, the wren is 

 unable to lay aside his insectivorous habit and accept 

 a winter diet of berries and seeds, and it is through 

 this one flaw in his armour that the spear of the 

 frost strikes. 



By the i8th April the black tails of the sitting 

 hens protruded from the edges of almost all the 

 nests in the rookery, and on the 23rd the cries of 

 the newly born might be heard, whilst the admir- 

 ing parents could be seen standing by, cawing 

 approvingly. 



There is a good deal of homely comedy in the 

 125 



