CAROLINA WREN. 
273 
as the weather becomes inclement. On the banks of the 
Patapsco, near Baltimore, their song is still heard to the close 
of November. 
Our bird has all the petulance, courage, industry, and famili- 
arity of his particular tribe. He delights to survey the mean- 
ders of peaceful streams, and dwell amidst the shady trees 
which adorn their banks. His choice seems to convey a taste 
for the picturesque and beautiful in Nature, himself, in the 
foreground, forming one of the most pleasing attractions of 
the scene. Approaching the waterfall, he associates with its 
murmurs the presence of the Kingfisher, and modulating the 
hoarse rattle of his original into a low, varied, desponding note, 
he sits on some depending bough by the stream, and calls, at 
intervals, in a slow voice, tee-yiwrh tee-yUrrh, or chi’’ r' r' r' rh. 
In the tall trees by the silent stream, he recollects the lively, 
common note of the I’ufted Titmouse, and repeats the/^Ai pcto 
peto peet, or his peevish katetedid, katctedid, katedid. 'While 
gleaning low, amidst fixllen leaves and brushwood, for hiding 
and dormant insects and worms, he perhaps brings up the note 
of his industrious neighbor, the Ground Robin, and sets to his 
own sweet and liquids tones the simple tojveci toweet (owed. 
The tremulous trill of the Pine Warbler is then recollected, 
and tr r r’r'r'r’rh is whistled. In the next breath comes his 
imitation of the large Woodpecker, woity woity luoity and 
wotchy wotchy luotchy, or (sho7>ee tshovce (shop, and tsJiooadee 
tshooadee tshoocideet, then varied to tshuvai tshuvai tshuvat, and 
tooviuidh toovdiuih toovaiiatoo. Next comes perhaps his more 
musical and pleasing version of the Blackbird’s short song, 
wottitshee wottitshee 7vottitshee. To the same smart tune is 
now set a chosen part of the drawling song of the Meadow 
Lark, precede precedo preced, then varied, rccedo recMo reced 
and tecedo tecedo teceet ; or ch.anging to a bass key, he tunes 
sooteet sooieet soot. Once, I heard this indefatigable mimic 
attempt delightfully the warble of the Bluebird in the month of 
February. The bold whistle of the Cardinal Bird is another 
of the sounds he delights to imitate and repeat in his own 
quaint manner ; such as vit-yii vit-yii vit-yii, and vishnu vishnu 
VOL. I. — 18 
