8 JOURNAL OF MAINE) ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



openings and giving one the impression he must be looking for a 

 suital)le spot as an abiding place for himself and mate another j^ear. 

 At least, we hoped that might be his intention, to return with a 

 wife, and I am sure, had \-ou known him, you would wish, with me, 

 that more of his kind could be added to our summer residents. 

 But Mr. Norton rudely dispelled that illusion, saying that, as he 

 was an accidental visitor only (never but two having been authenti- 

 cally recorded as taken within the limits of our State of Maine, his 

 home being in the Carolinas, and rarely coming further north than 

 Connecticut), undoubtedly, had he returned south and safely 

 reached his destination, he would not have returned to us another 

 year. 



At different times in my observations, I heard three distinct 

 variations of his song, all of which I can now place in my mind, 

 but not in words or sounds ; bird songs are not easy to repeat. Two 

 forms were very similar to those described by Hoffman, and one 

 entirely different. I also, several times, heard his caching note, as 

 well as \.\\^ pe2irri7ig alarm, all of which seemed characteristic of the 

 bird, and unlike the notes of other birds I have heard. I think, 

 should any of you who are familiar with bird songs and notes once 

 hear the Carolina Wren, it would instantly attract your attention, 

 as something unlike all others, and I heartily wish you may be for- 

 tunate enough to some day make his acquaintance. Another fea- 

 ture of the song was the regularity of its occurrence. I noted it 

 by my watch many times, and it was almost invariably fifteen to 

 twenty minutes between his songs. He would repeat one variation 

 several times, then a pause of about twenty minutes, perhaps to be 

 followed by another form in the same way, then back to the first 

 variation. I often rested by the way during those pauses, feeling 

 pretty sure I could again locate him by his song, if I waited that 

 time. 



His choice of food seemed to be tiny insects and bits that he 

 gleaned from the thick bushes, old bark and moss, mostly near the 

 ground, rarely feeding in the trees, but often singing from the low 

 branches. One morning, while sitting quietly alone watching others 



