The Bewick Wrens 
the bird comes up and 
moves about the center of 
commotion, taking obser¬ 
vations from all possible 
angles and making a run¬ 
ning commentary thereon. 
His attitude is alert and 
his movements vivacious, 
but the chief interest at¬ 
taches to the bird’s mobile 
tail. With this expressive 
member the bird is able to 
converse in a vigorous sign 
language. It is cocked up 
in impudence, wagged in 
defiance, set aslant in co¬ 
quetry, or depressed in 
whimsical token of hu¬ 
mility. Indeed, it is 
hardly too much to say 
that the bird makes faces 
with its tail. 
While spying along 
the lower levels, the Wren 
giggles and chuckles—tit¬ 
ters, or else gives vent to a 
grating cry, moozeerp, 
which sets the woods on 
edge. But in song the 
bird oftenest chooses an 
elevated station, a scrub- 
Here, at short intervals and in most 
energetic fashion, he delivers extended phrases of varied notes, now clear 
and sparkling, now slurred or pedalled. Above all, he is master of a set 
of smart trills. One of them, after three preliminary notes, runs tsu' 
tsu' tsu' tsu' tsu' tsu' , like an exaggerated and beautified song of the Towhee. 
Another song, which from its rollicking character deserves to be called 
a drinking song, terminates with a brilliant trill in descending scale, 
rallentando et diminuendo , as though the little minstrel were actually 
draining a beaker of dew. 
At another time it is the sudden outburst which nearly upsets you. 
Prrank, see, see, see, see. Now “see see see see” is soothing enough, but 
% 
SAN DIEGO BEWICK WREN 
oak sapling or the top of a stump. 
6/2 
