THE CAROLINA WREN. 259 
In defense if its home the Thrasher is almost fearless, often placing itself 
within reach of the observer’s hand, and calling down upon him all the while 
the most dreadful woes. ‘The female is a close sitter, and portraits 7m mido are 
not difficult to obtain. 
Nesting sites are various, but the bird shows a decided preference for 
those which are naturally defended by thorns. Nearly every full sized Cra- 
tegus (thorn apple) has at one time harbored a nest. Hedges of osage-orange 
are well patronized—almost exclusively so in the prairie states further west— 
and the honey-locust tree is not forgotten. Next after these come wild plum 
thickets, grape-vine tangles, brush heaps, fence corners, and last of all, the 
ground. 
No. 113. 
CAROLINA WREN. 
A. O. U. No. 718. Thryothorus ludovicianus ([Lath.). 
Synonyms.—GrREAT CAROLINA WREN; MocKING WREN. 
Description.—Adult: Above rufous-brown or rusty (quite variable as to 
shade), duller or darker on head, brighter on rump, with concealed downy white 
spots ; wings and tail like back, but finely and rather indistinctly barred with dusky ; 
a conspicuous, white superciliary line, bordered indistinctly behind with blackish ; 
a broad, rusty stripe behind eye; under parts white, much washed with tawny or 
pale rusty across the breast and on the flanks and lower belly ; sometimes the rusty 
is so pronounced that only the chin remains whitish; lower tail-coverts heavily 
barred with dusky; bill and feet brown, the former decurved. Length 5.50-6.00 
(139.7-152.4) ; average of ten Columbus specimens: wing 2.32 (58.9) ; tail 1.90 
(48.3) ; bill along exposed culmen .67 (17.). 
Recognition Marks.—Warbler to Sparrow size; largest of the Ohio Wrens. 
Nest, a bulky mass of grasses, hay, leaves, and trash, lined with fine grasses, 
feathers, etc., placed in some cavity or cranny of stump, log, brush-pile or the like. 
Eggs, 4-6, white, cream-white or light buff, thickly speckled with cinnamon- 
brown and lavender, well distributed or wreathed about larger end. Average 
SWAG, 67/5} 38 oso) (GES Se 105,))s 
General Range.—E astern United States north to southern New York, south- 
ern Michigan and southern Nebraska; west to the Plains. Rare or casual in 
southern New York and southern Ontario. Resident nearly throughout its 
range. 
Range in Ohio.—‘Abundant in southern, common and resident in middle, 
rare in northern Ohio.” Wheaton’s statement still applies. 
WHEN the bird man settles down into a shady nook and begins screep- 
ing, that is, making a sharp kissing sound on the back of the hand, to attract 
