Birds of Indiana. 1115 



Nest, in woods and thickets, in hollows and cavities in logs, stumps, 

 and trees, or in and about buildings; of grass, straw, moss and leaves. 

 Eggs. 4-6; white or creamy- white, sometimes pinkish, thickly spotted, 

 principally about the larger end, with reddish-brown; .75 by .58. 



The Carolina Wren is the largest Wren in the eastern United States. 

 It is an abundant resident in southern Indiana, decreasing in num- 

 bers from there northward in some localities, notably the northwestern 

 and the east central portion of the State, almost or entirely wanting. 

 ;N"orthward in some places they are only reported as stragglers or sum- 

 mer residents, while elsewhere they also occur in winter. They are 

 abundant north, at least to Knox (Chansler) and Franklin counties, 

 where they are, if any difference, more numerous in winter. They are 

 common as far as Terre Haute (Blatchley) and rather common at 

 Bloomington (Blatchley), and Lafayette (L. A. and C. D. Test); quite 

 frequent in Morgan County (A. M. Hadley). They are rare at Rich- 

 mond (E. Test), Spearsville (Barnett), Greencastle (Clearwaters), Wa- 

 bash (Wallace), Carroll County (Evermann), and Michigan City (Byr- 

 kit). They have heretofore been rare in Dejcalb County, but Mrs. 

 Hine informs me they are increasing in numbers, and are found both 

 •■\\anter and summer, and breed. 



At Petersburg, Mich., Mr. Jerome Trombley noted one bird in May, 

 1889, and he said he had seen but one other bird in a period of fifteen 

 years; and in 1892 a pair nested there. There is a general increase in 

 their numbers and extension of their range. May 19, 1887. I found 

 them in Parke County. Mr. V. H. Barnett reports them tolerably 

 common in Vermillion and Warren counties in August and September, 

 1897. The winter of 1895-6 for about four weeks from February 27 

 to March 24, 1896, these Wrens seemed to all be absent, about Brook- 

 ville. Other years they have stayed through the severest weather, 

 even perishing from cold. January 4, 1884, I found one frozen. They 

 frequent both town and country. Ten to fifteen years ago this was 

 the House Wren of the Whitewater Valley. They nested more often 

 about houses and outbuildings than in thickets, brush piles, fence cor- 

 ners and fallen timber. Now it is changed. Bewick's Wren has ap- 

 peared upon the scene and has became the domestic Wren. 



They remain paired throughout the year, and the breeding season 

 appears to extend almost the year around. I have known them to 

 begin singing Februar}'^ 3 (1892), and mate at once. March 1, 1889, 

 I found them house-hunting. In 1884 a pair built their nest in a 

 fleece of wool that hung on the back porch of my house, within two 

 feet of the door. The nest was begun March 13. was almost finished 

 March 19. contained one egg March 23; the fifth and last egg was 



