. Our native songsters . giy, theirhearts near to their mou; and it might be quotedin relation to this tiny bird, which is of a mostquaiTclsome disposition, even daring to attackbirds much larger than itself. The writer justalluded to, remarks, Last spring I was walkingunder some tall elms, from the top of which achiff-chaff was, at intervals, repeating his doublecry. A large common, overspread witli furze, layin one direction, while thoiLsands of the songpetty-chaps were warbling merrily. At lengthone of these settled on a bush close under thetrees, and began to sing; whereupon down camethe l
. Our native songsters . giy, theirhearts near to their mou; and it might be quotedin relation to this tiny bird, which is of a mostquaiTclsome disposition, even daring to attackbirds much larger than itself. The writer justalluded to, remarks, Last spring I was walkingunder some tall elms, from the top of which achiff-chaff was, at intervals, repeating his doublecry. A large common, overspread witli furze, layin one direction, while thoiLsands of the songpetty-chaps were warbling merrily. At lengthone of these settled on a bush close under thetrees, and began to sing; whereupon down camethe little chitf-chalf from above, and I witnesseda long-sustained battle betsveen the two, bothwarbling their diverse notes in defiance, and byturns attacking and pursuing each other. Eachindeed seemed to consider the other an antagonistof its own species, for it is seldom that differentspecies quaiTcl, though a few will drive away allintruders from their abode. This writer addsthat there are, however, several aUied TUE WILLOW WREN. 77 which seem quite to regard each other as enemies,as the robin and red-tail, the wliin and the stone-chats ; and these will quarrel with each other,thouG^h amiable enough with birds less nearlyallied; and on this principle the different kind of])etty-chaps arc very apt to fight in captivity. Another early bird among our summer visitorsis the Willow AVren* [Sylvia ^roc/^), called alsoYellow Wren, Hay bird, Garden Petty-chaps,Huck-muck, or Ground Wren,—the last namealluding, doubtless, to the place of its nest. Thesong of this bird may be heard in April, andis very loud and clear, making the woods to echowith the sound. A writer in the Magazine ofNatural History remarks,—Its song, if deserving(^f that name, has never been properly describedin our works of natural history. It consists ofwhistling notes, which it runs through the gamutof B, thus comprising ten notes: the latter onesare very soft, and run into each other; and thoughit w
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1853
