432 
INSECTIVOROUS BIRDS. 
I first heard the note of the White-eyed Vireo in March, 
the Carolina Wren immediately mimicked the note of 
teeah ivewd , witte iveewa. Some of these notes would 
appear to be recollections of the past season, as imita- 
tions of the Maryland Yellow-Throat ( wittisee wittisee 
wittisee ivit , and shewaidit, shewaidit^sheivaidit) not yet 
heard or arrived within the boundary of the United 
States. So also his tsherry tsherry tsherry tshup is one 
of the notes of the Baltimore Bird, yet in South America. 
While at Tuscaloosa, about the 20th of February, one 
of these Wrens, on the borders of a garden, sat and 
repeated for some time, tshe-iohiskee whiskee whiskee, 
then soolait soolait soolait ; another of his phrases is 
tshukddee tshakddee tsJiukddeetshoo , and chjihway 
cJijibway chjibivay , uttered quick ; the first of these ex- 
pressions is in imitation of one of the notes of the Scar- 
let Tanager. Amidst these imitations and variations 
which seem almost endless, and lead the stranger to im- 
agine himself, even in the depth of winter, surrounded 
by all the quaint choristers of the summer, there is 
still, with our capricious and tuneful mimick, a favor- 
ite theme more constantly and regularly repeated than 
the rest. This was also the first sound that I heard from 
him, delivered with great spirit, though in the dreary month 
of January. This sweet and melodious ditty, tsee-toot 
tsee-toot tsee-toot, and sometimes tsee-toot tsee-toot seet, 
was usually uttered in a somewhat plaintive or tender 
strain, varied at each repetition with the most de- 
lightful and delicate tones, of which no conception can 
be formed without experience. That this song has a 
sentimental air may be conceived from its interpretation 
by the youths of the country, who pretend to hear it say, 
sioeet-lieart sweet-lieart sweet ! nor is the allusion more 
than the natural truth, for, usually, this affectionate ditty 
