THE SECRET OF THE WILLOW WREN 123 



continuing it throughout August and even into 

 September. But in spite of his abundance and 

 universahty, and the charm of his Uttle melody, 

 he is not famiharly known to the people 

 generally, as they know the robin redbreast, 

 pied wagtail, dunnock, redstart, and stonechat. 

 The name we call him by is a very old one, 

 and was first used in English by Ray, in his 

 translation of WiUughby's Ornithology, about 

 two and a half centuries ago ; but it stiU remains 

 a book-name unknown to the rustic. Nor has 

 this common little bird any widely known ver- 

 nacular name. If by chance you find a country- 

 man who knows the bird, and has a name for it, 

 this wiU be one which is applied indiscriminately 

 to two, three, or four species. The wiUow wren, 

 in fact, is one of those httle birds that are " seen 

 rather than distinguished," on account of its 

 small size, modest colouring, and its close re- 

 semblance to other species of warblers ; also on 

 account of the quiet, gentle character of its 

 song, which is little noticed in the spring and 

 summer concert of loud, familiar voices. 



One day in London during the late summer 

 I was amused and at the same time a little 



