96 



BIKDS OF THE PASTURE AND FOREST. 



female being of a bright bay color where the male is red. 

 Every ramblei; knows him, not only by his plumage and 

 his peculiar note, but also by his singular habit of liirking 

 among the bushes, appearing and disappearing like a 

 squirrel, and watching all our movements. It is with 

 difficulty that a gunner can obtain a good aim at him, so 

 rapidly does he change his position among the leaves and 

 branches. In these motions he resembles the Wren. 

 When he perceives that we are observing him he pauses 

 in his song, and utters that peculiar note of complaint 

 from which he has derived the name Chewink. The 

 sound is more like chewee, accenting the second syllable. 



The Chewink is a very constant singer during four 

 months of the year, from the first of May. He is untir- 

 ing in his lays, seldom resting for any considerable time 

 from morn to night, being never weary in rain or in sun- 

 shine, or at noonday in the hottest weather of the season. 

 His song consists .of two long notes, the first about a third 

 above the second, and the last part made up of several 

 rapidly uttered liquid notes, about one tone below the 

 first note. 



SONG OP THE CHEWINK. 



There is an expression of great cheerfulness in these 

 notes, though they are not delivered with much enthusi- 

 asm. But music, like poetry, must be somewhat plaintive 

 in its character to take strong hold of the feelings. I 

 have never known any person to be affected by these 

 notes as many are by those of the Wood-Sparrow. While 

 employed in singing, the Chewink is usually perched on 

 the lower branch of a tree, near the edge of a wood, or on 

 the summit of a tall bush. He is a true forest bird, and 



