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198 WAKE-ROBIN 
one day’s standing. I will say, in passing, that 
there are no bachelors from choice among the birds; 
they are all rejected suitors, while old maids are 
entirely unknown. ‘There is a Jack to every Jill; 
and some to boot. 
The males, being more exposed by their song and ' 
plumage, and by being the pioneers in migrating, | 
seem to be slightly in excess lest the supply fall, 
short, and hence it sometimes happens that a few 
are bachelors perforce; there are not females enough! 
to go around, but before the season is over there are 
sure to be some vacancies in the marital ranks, . 
which they are called on to fill. 
In the mean time the wrens were beside them- 
selves with delight; they fairly screamed with joy. 
If the male was before “ruffled with whirlwind of 
his ecstasies,” he was now in danger of being rent 
asunder. He inflated his throat and caroled as 
wren never caroled before. And the female, too, 
how she cackled and darted about! How busy they 
both were! Rushing into the nest, they hustled 
those eggs out in less than a minute, wren time. 
They carried in new material, and by the third day 
were fairly installed again in their old quarters; but 
on the third day, so rapidly are these little dramas 
played, the female bluebird reappeared with another 
mate. Ah! how the wren stock went down then! 
What dismay and despair filled again those little 
breasts! It was pitiful. They did not scold as 
before, but after a day or two withdrew from the gar- 
den, dumb with grief, and gave up the struggle. 
