Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-09-04
The Blue-Bird.

THE blue-birds and the house-wrens
more frequently come into collision. A
few years ago | put up little bird-hOu
in the back end of my garden for the &C
commodation of the wrens, and every sea-
son pair have taken up their abode
there. One spring pair of birds
looked into the tenement and fingered
about several days, leading me to hope
that they would conclude to occupy it.
But they finally went away, and later in
the season the wrens appeared, and after
little coquetting were regularly installed
in their old quarters, and were as happy
as only wrens can be.
One of our younger poets, Myron Ben
ton, saw little bird
''-ruHied with whirlwind of his ecstacies,''
which must have been the wren, as L
know of no other bird that so throbs and
palpitates with music as this little vaga-
bond. And the pair l speak of seemed
exceptionally happy and the male had
small tornado of song in his crop that
kept him "ruffied" every moment in the
day. But before their honeymoon was
over the blue-birds returned. knew some
thing was wrong before | was up in the
morning, Instead of that volube and
gushing song outside the window, | heard
full rate, and on going out saw the blue
birds in possession of the box. The poor
wrens were in despair; they wrung their
hands and tore their hair, after the wren
fashion, but chiefly did they rattle out
their disgust and wrath at the intruders
| have no doubt that if it could have been
Interpreted would have proven the rank
est and most voluble Billingsgate ever ut
tered. For the wren is saucy, and he has
tongue in his head that can outWag any
other tongue known to me.
The blue-birds said nothing, but the
male kept an eye on Mr. Wren; and when
he came too near, gave chase, driving him
to cover under the fence, or under rub
bish-heap or other object, where the wren
would scOld and rattle away, while his
pursuer sat on the fence or the pea brush
waiting for him to reappear.
Days passed, and the usurpers prOspered
and the Outcasts were wretched but the
latter fingered about watching and abus
ing their enemies, and hoping, no doubt,
that things would take a turn, and they
presently did. The outraged wrens were
fully avenged. The mother bluc-bird had
lain her full complement of eggs and
was beginning to set, when one day, as
her mate was perched above her on the
barn, along came a boy with one of those
elastic slings and cut him down with
pebble. There he lay like bit of sky
fallen upon the grass. The widowed bird
seemed to understand what had happened,
and without much ado disappeared next
day in quest Of another mate.
In the meantime the wrens were beside
themselves with delight they fairly
screamed with joy. If the male was be-
fore "rutffed with whirlwind of his
ecstasies,' he was now in danger of being
rent asunder. He inflated his throat and
carOled as wren never caroled before.
And the female, too, how she cackled and
darted about! How busy they both were!
Rushing into the nest, they hustled those
eggs out in less than a minute, wren
| time. They carried in new material, and
by the third day were fairly installed
again in their old quarters; but on the
| third day, so rapidly are these little
dramas played, the female blue-b reap
| peared with another mate. All! how the
wren stock went down then! What dis
may and despair filled again those little
Breasts 1t was pitiful. They did not
scold as before, but after day Or two
withdrew from the garden, dumb with
grief, and gave up the sruggle.-J0hn
| Burroughs, IN Scribner's Monthly.