GO 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



tors to the works the new-comers had been car- 

 rying on with so much industry. With many 

 wags of the tail, with various clucks and quaes, 

 and knowing twists of the head, they had de- 

 bated the matter between themselves ; and had 

 come to the sage conclusion, that this thing 

 foreboded no quiet "to them. But what to do, 

 seemed a difficult matter to determine on. At 

 last, they came apparently to this decision, that 

 it was best to keep a sharp lookout upon their 

 neighbour's proceedings, without making any 

 actual demonstration of hostility. From this 

 time one of the Cat birds always remained in 

 the mulberry tree ; and not a solitary stick 

 could the industrious wrens carry up but it was 

 closely scanned with head turned awry and tail 

 drawn forward over the back, exhibiting plain- 

 ly the whole of the bright chestnut beneath ; 

 at the same time a torrent of harsh, grating, 

 and to me, unintelligible gutturals, were pour- 

 ed forth. But the wrens seemed to understand 

 it well enough, and became highly indignant 

 at such insulting deportment. It was on this 

 account that the male wren would pour forth 

 his song of defiance, and swell himself up to 

 such formidable dimensions. This did not pro- 

 duce the desired effect. For the absent Cat 

 bird would join the one on the watch and both 

 would putf and swell to an extent greatly be- 

 yond what the wren was capable of ; whilst 

 their gibes and jeers expressed in harsher gut- 

 turals still. He would lose all control over his, 

 at best irrascible temper, and would rush to the 

 attack. The Cat birds thinking "discretion 

 the better part of valor," would retreat from 

 limb to limb, running over the gamut of ear 

 grating sounds, with the most astonishing va- 

 riety ; at the same time redoubling their insult- 

 ing and offensive motions, with the head, wing 

 and tail. This would provoke the wren to fol- 

 low up the attack with renewed vivacity, and 

 the Cat birds to get out of the reach of his for- 

 midable little bill, would retire to an adjoining 

 mulberry, but not abating a whit in their an- 

 tics and gibes. The wren, however, would 

 justly claim this as a victory, and would retire 

 to his favorite locust limb and pour forth his 

 song of triumph, in the hearing of his admir- 

 ing and tender spouse. In 10 or 15 minutes 

 they would repair to a cedar hedge near by, and 

 solace themselves with love. 



Thus did our little hero build, and fight, and 

 sing, and love, for a fortnight ; when the|great 

 business of incubation was entered upon by his 

 beloved Jenny. Their provoking neighbours 

 were engaged in the same business. Now more 

 friendly feelings seemed to have arisen between 

 them. The greater part of the day would the 

 two males, the one seated on his locust, the 

 other on the top of his mulberry, pour forth 

 their melodious warblings, unrivalled on the 

 mrt of the Cat bird, unless perhaps by the 

 Mocking bird. 



These songs would be interrupted at inter- 

 vals, to procure an insect for themselves or ten- 



der mates, or to lave, and prune and adjust 

 their plumage. When his young were hatched 

 our little hero had his hands full. lie had to 

 bear his due share in supplying their craving 

 appetites with food — to watch Grimalkin, whom 

 he took especial delight in scolding, and to 

 fight off all other birds who might chance to 

 alight near his nest. The relations between 

 himself and his ancient enemy, the Cat bird, 

 however, remained quite cordial; frequently 

 they would be seen sitting on the same limb, in 

 three or four feet of each other, in perfect har- 

 mony. As his young ones grew, the little wren 

 had less and less time to sing, so incessantly 

 was he occupied in bringing them insects. But 

 now and then he would steal a few minutes to 

 pour out his little soul in song, to which his 

 young would listen with attentive ear, ceasing 

 the while their own eternal twit. 



In about fifteen days they led forth six young 

 ones, seemingly larger than themselves, though 

 their tails were not quite so long. They fed 

 them assiduously ten or twelve days. The young 

 would follow them like little mice on the ground 

 in the hedges, and orchard, and along the fen- 

 ces. They gradually receded from the house 

 till they were lost to me. I never saw the 

 young ones again, unless in the following spring, 

 when they were grown up wrens. But in less 

 than a fortnight after their hegira from the 

 nest, I heard the song of the old male from his 

 accustomed limb. I went forth with a heart 

 right glad, to see if it was, indeed, my little 

 friend. Sure enough there was he, and his 

 faithful Jenny. They furbished up their nest 

 a little, and in due time led forth a second brood 

 consisting of four. These were watched over 

 with the same assiduous care as the first. They 

 lingered about the premises for a week or so, 

 then disappeared, and all was silent and deso- 

 late, at the house of the little wren. They had 

 commenced their long and perilous journey 

 away beyond the borders of the United States, 

 to spend their winter in the climes of the sun- 

 ny South, perhaps as far as 30° the other side 

 of the Equator. 



But in May 1842, my little friend returned, 

 and sung still more sweetly from his locust 

 limb. In a few days there were as many as 

 three other males in the yard. The females 

 soon arrived. And then commenced a series of 

 the fiercest battles between the males. Peace 

 was at length restored, all the males had found 

 suitable mates, but still only two pair remain- 

 ed. They built in the pudlock holes, of which 

 there were four in the gable. Each of these 

 pair raised two broods, and left about the last 

 of August. Year after year, till 1854, they 

 continued to build in these same pudlock holes. 

 Whether they were the same birds I cannot 

 tell ; but I could not help thinking that such 

 was the fact. In the mean time my little colo- 

 ny had increased till a dozen or more pair built 

 near my premises. They are so pugnacious, 

 however, that except in the case of the two, 



