The Canyon Wrens 
Taken near Santa Barbara Photo by the Author 
A CANYON WREN PORTRAIT 
an amazed stopping of the 
heart and a thrilling sense 
of physical adventure. 
Especially when the bird 
is really near at hand, 
you feel as if you were 
being made the target of 
a salvo of musical bombs, 
which, starting from a far 
height, detonate with 
unceasing nearness until 
the last are exploding 
against your very person. 
The descent is through 
nearly two octaves; and 
the notes, whose crest, 
heard in the distance, 
seem purest whistle-tones, 
are seen at near quarters 
to be double and vibrant 
in character. The notes 
are normally seven or 
eight, with a full tide of 
passion thrown into the 
last three; but as often as 
not the singer adds one or 
two entirely different, as 
though, having sung his 
heart out, the mountaineer 
should fling down hat and 
gauntlet with a rustic 
whoopee of exhaustion. It 
becomes then, ciuck cu ^ c ^ 
cnick 
para 
para 
gone 
s ° rIC gone poozt teetl. 
Heard across the wastes of chaparral, or in the cool depths of some 
rugged ravine, this song of the Canyon Wren is at once the most stirring 
and imaginative, and the most delightful which the wilderness of Cali¬ 
fornia has to offer. Heard a dozen times, perhaps, or ever its author 
is seen, one has formed in advance a picture of a very engaging bird 
person. And for all save dignity (no Wren can be dignified) the Canyon 
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