WRENS. 83 
The most royal of the family is the winter wren 
(Troglodytes hiemalis). He is graceful and vivacious. 
His plumage is rich and soft, dark brown above and 
lighter beneath, strongly marked with dusky cross-bars 
anteriorly, and whitish ones posteriorly, and also a 
white bar across outer wing primaries. He is pre-emi- 
nently a bird of the woods. It is as difficult to describe 
his inimitable and brilliant song as it is that of the 
bobolink; the notes are so rapid and rippling, accelera- 
ting and diminishing, all clear and fife-like, and as liquid 
as the notes of the song sparrow. 
The song. commences with a tinkling, wavering 
prelude, increasing in fervor, half whistle, half warble, 
interspersed with trills of exquisite sweetness. Bur- 
roughs says, “The winter wren is a marvelous songster, 
in speaking of whom it is difficult to avoid superlatives. 
He possesses the fluency and copiousness for which the 
wrens are noted, and besides these qualities, and what 
is rarely found in conjunction with them, a wild, sweet 
rhythmical cadence that holds you entranced. 
“His strain is rapid and gushing, and touched with a 
wild sylvan plaintiveness; his voice fills the dim aisles 
of the forest as if aided by some marvelous sounding- 
board. Indeed, the song is very strong for so small a 
bird, and unites in a remarkable degree brilliancy and 
plaintiveness. I think of a tremulous vibrating tongue 
of silver.” 
I shall never forget the first time I heard this 
remarkable singer. [ was making my way through an 
intricate swamp of cedars and hemlocks near Millgrove, 
