Wren, House 



and 'joy and of the propagating instinct, that, after the 

 real nest is completed, and while the eggs are being laid, 

 it gives vent to itself in constructing these sham or cock 

 nests. . . . The gushing ecstatic nature of the bird 

 expresses itself in this way. BURROUGHS. Riverby. 11 



WREN, WINTER 



The tail of the winter wren is comically short, and 

 standing quite erect gives the little creature a peculiarly 

 pert and saucy air, which seemed to Shakespeare so salient 

 a feature when he alluded to 



"The wren with little quill." 



It is a specimen of highly concentrated nervous energy, 

 bottled almost to bursting, explosively relieved in action 

 and song a bit of champagne with wings. 



PARKHURST. The Birds' Calendar. 31 



It is such a friendly, jolly little bird that you are won 

 by its confidence; but when you come to hear it sing, 

 you are stirred by deeper emotions. The song is a marvel 

 from such a little bird. 



FLORENCE A. MERRIAM. Birds of Village and Field. 1 



His song unites in a remarkable degree brilliancy and 

 plaintiveness. I think of a tremulous vibrating tongue of 



silver He is the least ostentatious singer I 



know of. He does not strike an attitude, and lift up his 

 head in preparation, and, as it were, clear his throat: 

 but sits there on a log and pours out his music, looking 

 straight before him, or even down at the ground. As a 

 songster, he has but few superiors. 



BURROUGHS. Wake Robin. 5 



182 



