OF NEW ENGLAND. 75 



wall. They sometimes betray their presence, however, by their 

 quarrelsome disposition, and their noisy anger at the supposed 

 intrusion of other birds. They remain near the ground, flying 

 a little way with a rather loud fluttering, actively hopping from 

 twig to twig somewhat impetuously, and with the tail often 

 cocked in the air, or pausing to sing, when they assume a more 

 upright posture, accompanied by a depression of the tail. 



"Their notes, except their chatter, which is much like that 

 of the House Wren, are generally loud, musical whistles, which 

 exhibit great variation. Sometimes they form a series of trip- 

 lets, all of which may individually be on a descending or an 

 ascending scale ; sometimes they resemble the word chirrup, 

 the first syllable being much dwelt upon, and at other times 

 may be well represented by the syllables we'-u, we'-u, we'-u, we'-u. 

 This music is often delivered with volubility, but it is always 

 characterized, apart from any similar notes to be heard near 

 Boston, by a remarkable clearness or openness. Such is the 

 biography of the Carolina Wrens in Massachusetts." 



" H. D. MINOT." 

 " July loth, 1876." 



To this account it may be added that the Carolina Wrens are 

 not always shy, that they are ventriloquists, and that they pos- 

 sess a greater variety of sweet musical notes than has been 

 indicated in the foregoing account. It is now believed, after 

 further observations, that they arrived before July, and chose 

 for their home a drier and sunnier place than the above-men- 

 tioned swamp, to which, however, they have frequently wan- 

 dered, at least the male. 



(B) ^DON. House Wren. 



(A very common summer-resident in southern New Eng- 

 land, though locally distributed.) 



(a). 4J~5 inches long. Above, rather dark wren-brown. 

 Below, light creamy or grayish brown (rarely rusty-brown). 

 Everywhere finely "waved" with darker brown, but not con- 

 spicuously on the crown. Coloration variable. Superciliary 

 line sometimes whitish. Tail 1^-2 inches long. 



