BIRDS OF THE CAMBRIDGE REGION. 367 



probable, perhaps, that the former bird after spending the entire spring near 

 Payson Park, eventually strayed to Arlington Heights, for Mr. William P. Had- 

 ley tells me that he has a Carolina Wren which he killed at the latter locality 

 early in June, 1903. 



As the Carolina Wren is known to have bred on Naushon Island, Massa- 

 chusetts,^ and suspected, on reasonably good evidence,^ to have done so at a 

 locality only a few miles south of Boston, there is no reason why it may not 

 occasionally nest within the limits of the Cambridge Region. All the records 

 above given for this region relate, however, to fully mature male birds which 

 were almost certainly unprovided with mates. 



230. Troglodytes aedon Vieill. 

 House Wren. 



Summer resident, formerly abundant, now found only sparingly and in but a few localities. 



seasonal occurrence. 



April 24, 1897, one male seen, Arlington, W. Faxon. 



April 28 — September 25. 

 October 30, 1880, one seen. Fresh Pond Marshes, C. F. Batchelder. 



nesting dates. 

 May 25 — June 5. 



From the time of my earliest recollection up to about 1875 House Wrens 

 were abundant in Cambridge, Watertown, Waverley, Belmont, Arlington and 

 Medford. Further inland they were much less common, although they occurred 

 sparingly in Waltham and Le.xington and rarely in Lincoln and Concord. They 

 were most numerous in Cambridge and its suburbs, where they bred practically 

 everywhere, even in the most densely populated parts of Cambridgeport, nesting in 

 wooden bird-houses and in the old-fashioned, earthen-ware olive jars which were 

 put up for them or for the Bluebirds. Where such accommodations were not 

 to be had they occupied holes in trees and crevices in the walls or under the 

 eaves of out-buildings. They were, indeed, among the commonest and most 



1 W. Brewster, Auk, XVIII, 1901, 397-398. 



2H. D. Minot, Bulletin of the Nuttall Ornithological Club, I, 1876, 76. 



