ORDER PASSERES. 47 



than that of the nightingale, but more grave, touching, and 

 tender, and more resembling the mellow sounds of a soft- 

 toned flute. It is modulated on different keys and accents, 

 to which the seven notes of the octave, which the bird delights 

 to repeat, serve, in som^ sort, as a prelude. In those warm 

 climates, where the young broods take place several times in 

 the year, the song, which is only the expression of love, lasts 

 longer than in cold or temperate regions. This constitutes a 

 very decided advantage in favour of the arada over the 

 nightingale. From its song, the name of musician-thrush 

 has been given to the arada ; but it certainly does not belong 

 to the thrushes : and as the epithet musician has been applied 

 to other birds of different genera, the native name of arada 

 was preferred by Buffon. The species is rare, and avoids 

 the neighbourhood of inhabited places. 



The Buenos Ayres Wren {Sylvia Platensis) has great 

 analogy with the CEdon, already described ; it is known by 

 the Guaranis under the name of Basacaraguay. But at 

 Buenos Ayres, they called it a mouse, from its cry, and its 

 habit of gliding, especially in winter, under roofs and into the 

 crevices of walls, and holes of trees, and of entering some- 

 times into houses, to catch spiders and other small insects. 

 This bird never frequents the plains or foyests ; it remains 

 in thickets, on the edge of woods, in enclosures and rural 

 habitations. It hops lightly along the ground, holding the 

 tail almost always erect, and appearing by no means fright- 

 ened at the approach of men. The male sings all the year, 

 and in the season of love accompanies its song with a clapping 

 of the wings ; the female replies to the male, by a single cry, 

 thus, chi, low and tender. The voice of the male is always 

 elevated, clear, and agreeable ; its song consists of eight or 

 ten syllables, pronounced quickly, and repeated at intervals, 

 and often for a long time together ; its rhythm is not unlike 

 that of the nightingale, but its phrases are neither so varied 

 nor so expressive. 



