TUE WILLOW WREN. 77 



which seem quite to regard each other as enemies, 

 as the robin and red-tail, the wliin and the stone- 

 chats ; and these will quarrel with each other, 

 thouG^h amiable enough with birds less nearly 

 allied ; and on this principle the different kind of 

 ])etty-chaps arc very apt to fight in captivity. 



Another early bird among our summer visitors 

 is the Willow AVren* [Sylvia ^roc/^/Zw.s-), called also 

 Yellow Wren, Hay bird, Garden Petty-chaps, 

 Huck-muck, or Ground Wren, — the last name 

 alluding, doubtless, to the place of its nest. The 

 song of this bird may be heard in April, and 

 is very loud and clear, making the woods to echo 

 with the sound. A writer in the " Magazine of 

 Natural History" remarks, — "Its song, if deserving 

 (^f that name, has never been properly described 

 in our works of natural history. It consists of 

 whistling notes, which it runs through the gamut 

 of B, thus comprising ten notes : the latter ones 

 are very soft, and run into each other ; and though 

 it would thus appear anxious to be well grounded 

 in the principles of music, by thoroughly and con- 



* The Willow Wren is about five inches in length. Upper 

 parts dull olive, more brown on the wings and tail ; under parts 

 whitish, tinged with yellow, except on the belly ; a pale streak 

 over each eye : legs and feet pale brown. 



