AUTHORITIES UPON THE WEEN'S SONG. 23 



Alexander Wilson's testimony is as follows: "It occasionally utters 

 a loud, strong, and singular twitter, resembling the word ckirr-rup, dwell- 

 ing long and strongly on the first syllable, and so loud that I at first 

 mistook it for the redbird (Z. cardinalis). It has also another chant, 

 rather more musical, like ' Sweet William, Sweet William] much softer 

 than the former." 



Audubon seems to regard the habit of singing from the roof of a flat- 

 boat on the river as the most noticeable point of its vocalism. 



None of the more modern biographers of the bird, as I have already 

 hinted, enlarge upon this alleged power; in fact, it is not mentioned 

 at all by them. 



In his admirable "Birds of the North-west," Dr. Elliott Coues gives 

 us a charming account of the bird, dwelling on its voice. "It frequents 

 shrubbery," he writes, "and undergrowth of all sorts, where it hides with 

 great pertinacity, and is oftener heard than seen. Not that it is particularly 

 a timid bird, for it often comes about the gardens and out-houses ; but it 

 is retiring and unfamiliar, courting privacy and seclusion. If we attempt 

 to penetrate its hidden resorts, it hurries away into deeper recesses, with 

 a low fluttering near the ground, or scrambling and hopping from one 

 bush to another, very likely mocking us with its rollicking song as soon 

 as it feels perfectly secure. It shares, however, the restlessness and prying 

 curiosity of its tribe ; and if we keep still in a favorable spot we may often 

 see it returning slyly to take a look at us, peering from among the leaves 

 with an inquisitive air, all the while 'teetering' its body, and performing 

 odd, nervous antics, as if it were possessed with the very spirit of unrest. 

 At such times it chatters in a harsh, querulous tone, as if resenting the 

 intrusion ; and this is its ordinary note when angry, alarmed, or otherwise 

 disturbed in mind. Its song is quite another thing — loud, clear, strong, 

 and highly musical ; indeed, I hardly know what bird possesses a richer 

 voice, though many are sweeter songsters. The song is a rapid succession 

 of whistling notes, delivered with great energy and accent; it closely 

 resembles that of the cardinal grosbeak, styled in some parts the Virginia 

 nightingale, and meriting the compliment. In still weather the wren can 

 be heard several hundred yards, but it is not easy to trace the music up to 

 its source, because the resonant quality of the notes makes the whole copse 

 seem to ring with the sound, and because the restless songster is constantly 

 changing his position." 



Of the many men who have given us "local lists" of the avifauna 

 here and there in the Southern States none bring forward different testi- 

 mony. In the gathering of the material for one of the most extended of 



