THE WREN. 105 



siepe), or the King of the birds (Be degli uccelli). 

 The Spaniards, too, term it the Kinglet ; and the 

 Portuguese, the Bird-king. So also the French 

 give it the name of Boitelet, or Little king, or of 

 King-berry (Boi-berri/) , or of King of the cold {Boi 

 de froidure). The Germans call it bj the poetic 

 names of Snow-king {Schnee-Konig), and Thorn- 

 king [Dorn-K'6ni(j). The Dutch preserve still 

 their old name of the wren {Konye, Little king), 

 and the Welsh simply term it BrfM, King. In 

 some French provinces, the peasants call the wren 

 by the no less unaccountable name of Bcenf de 

 Dieu. 



The wren is a bird of solitary and retiring 

 habits, and is very generally diffused throughout 

 the British isles, and, indeed, through Europe, 

 singing its humble song the winter through, in 

 cold and clieerless scenes, amid the icicles on the 

 trees, and even when the flakes of snow come 

 slowly down like plumes, with which to invest 

 the streams and woods and fields. 



