274 SINGING BIRDS. 
vishnu, then his wortee woitee woitee and wiltee wiltee wiltee. 
Soon after I first heard the note of the White-eyed Vireo in 
March, the Carolina Wren immediately mimicked the note of 
tecah wéwd wittee weewd. Some of these notes would appear 
to be recollections of the past season, as imitations of the 
Maryland Yellow-Throat (wittisee wittisee wittisee wit, and 
shewaidit shewaidit shewaidit), not yet heard or arrived within 
the boundary of the United States. So also his ¢sherry tsherry 
tsherry tshup is one of the notes of the Baltimore Bird, yet in 
South America. 
While at Tuscaloosa, about the z2oth of February, one of 
these Wrens, on the borders of a garden, sat and repeated for 
some time Ahe-whiskee whiskee whiskee, then soolait soolait 
soolait ; another of his phrases is ashukadee tshukadee thuka- 
deetshoo and chjibway chfibway chfibway, uttered quick ; the 
first of these expressions is in imitation of one of the notes of 
the Scarlet Tanager. Amidst these imitations and variations, 
which seem almost endless, and lead the stranger to imagine 
himself, even in the depth of winter, surrounded by all the 
quaint choristers of the summer, there is still, with our capri- 
cious and tuneful mimic, a favorite theme more constantly 
and regularly repeated than the rest. This was also the first 
sound that I heard from him, delivered with great spirit, though 
in the dreary month of January. This sweet and melodious 
ditty, ¢see-toot tsee-toot tsee-toot, and sometimes ¢sce-toot tsee- 
toot seet, was usually uttered in a somewhat plaintive or tender 
strain, varied at each repetition with the most delightful and 
delicate tones, of which no conception can be formed without 
experience. That this song has a sentimental air may be con- 
ceived from its interpretation by the youths of the country, 
who pretend to hear it say sawéet-heart swéet-heart sweet / Nor 
is the illusion more than the natural truth; for, usually, this 
affectionate ditty is answered by its mate, sometimes in the 
same note, at others, in a different call. In most cases it will 
be remarked that the phrases of our songster are uttered in 
3's; by this means it will generally be practicable to distinguish 
its performance from that of other birds, and particularly from 
