136 WREN. - 
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he was attracted by its loud vociferations, which he found to 
be caused by the proximity of a Weasel, its nest doubtless 
being near. They are somewhat pugnacious, and have been 
observed fighting together with much animosity. In the day- 
time they may be seen with erect tail, now here, now there, 
creeping like a mouse among the branches. ‘They are fond of 
seclusion, and are of solitary habits, being never seen in flocks, 
and seldom but in the spring in pairs, and choosing sombre, 
quiet, and lonely places for their tenantship. 
Their flight, usually short and near the ground, is performed 
in a straight line, with repeated fluttering of the wings. 
The young are assiduously attended to by the parent birds, 
and fed with insects and their larve and worms, the same that 
they themselves feed on; these, however, are not their exclusive 
food, for they make free with currants in the season. 
The note, which is heard throughout the greater part of 
the year, but is not so powerful in the winter months, is very 
lively, clear, and cheerful, and while uttering it the whole body 
vibrates with the effort, the bill is raised and opened wide, 
the throat swelled out, and the wings drooped. It is generally 
given forth from the upper branch of a hedge or bush, and 
when it is ended the singer descends from her place in the 
orchestra quite ‘a la mode.’. I was sitting in my breakfast-room 
one morning, when I heard a loud, clear, ringing note in the 
garden, whose authorship I could not divine, nor, on going 
out to endeavour to do so, detect. The following morning I 
heard it again, and this time was more fortunate. I was that 
of a Wren! ‘There he or she the ‘cantatrice’ stood, pouring 
forth a volume of song enough almost to make the very welkin 
echo it. I was never more astonished at anything of the kind, 
it was so utterly disproportionate to the size of the tiny bird. 
William Thompson, Esq. too says, ‘On the yard wall before 
my window in the country, a Wren once appeared on the 28rd. 
of September singing with such extraordinary loudness as 
immediately to attract other birds to the spot. First came 
a Hedge Sparrow to buffet it, followed by a male and female 
Chaffinch, also with sinister intent, but it maintained its 
position against them all, and sang away as fiercely as ever. 
A Robin too alighted beside the songster, but, unlike the others, 
did not seek to disturb it. For this strange proceeding on 
the part of the Wren there was no apparent cause.’ ‘When 
a bird of prey appears, the little Wren often gives the alarm, 
by uttering rapidly its note of fear, ‘shrek! shrek? so quickly 
