cousin, Redeye," replied Jenny. "His coat is a
little duller olive-green and underneath he is a little bit yellowish
instead of being white. Of course he doesn't have red eyes, and he is
a little smaller than Redeye. The whole family looks pretty much alike
anyway."

"You said something then, Jenny Wren," declared Peter. "They get me all
mixed up. If only some of them had some bright colors it would be easier
to tell them apart."

"One has," replied Jenny Wren. "He has a bright yellow throat and breast
and is called the Yellow-throated Vireo. There isn't the least chance of
mistaking him."

"Is he a singer, too?" asked Peter.

"Of course," replied Jenny. "Every one of that blessed family loves the
sound of his own voice. It's a family trait. Sometimes it just makes my
throat sore to listen to them all day long. A good thing is good, but
more than enough of a good thing is too much. That applies to gossiping
just as well as to singing and I've wasted more time on you than I've
any business to. Now hop along, Peter, and don't bother me any more
to-day."

Peter hopped.

CHAPTER XXX. Jenny Wren's Cousins.

Peter Rabbit never will forget his surprise when Jenny Wren asked him
one spring morning if he had seen anything of her big cousin. Peter
hesitated. As a matter of fact, he couldn't think of any big cousin
of Jenny Wren. All the cousins he knew anything about were very nearly
Jenny's own size.

Now Jenny Wren is one of the most impatient small persons in the world.
"Well, well, well, Peter, have you lost your tongue?" she chattered.
"Can't you answer a simple question without talking all day about it?
Have you seen anything of my big cousin? It is high time for him to be
here."

"You needn't be so cross about it if I am slow," replied Peter. "I'm
just trying to think who your big cousin is. I guess, to be quite
honest, I don't know him."

"Don't know him! Don't know him!" Sputtered Jenny. "Of course you know
him. You can't help but know him. I mean Brownie the Thrasher."

In his surprise Peter fairly jumped right off the ground. "What's that?"
he exclaimed. "Since when was Brownie the Thrasher related to the Wren
family?"

"Ever since there have been any Wrens and Thrashers," retorted Jenny.
"Brownie belongs to one branch of the family and I belong to another,
and that makes him my second cousin. It certainly is surprising how
little some folks know."

"But I have always supposed he belonged to the