WRENS. 73 



corresponds in every important particular to the descriptions 

 given by standard authors. To facilitate the detection of these 

 birds elsewhere in Massachusetts, I offer a slight sketch of 

 their habits and notes, as just observed. 



The Carolina Wrens, being shy, are not easily studied, for, 

 on man's approach, they often discontinue their song, and hide 

 themselves in the surrounding shrubbery, or in a neighboring 

 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, fly- 

 ing 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 triplets, all of which may individually be on a descending or 

 an ascending scale ; sometimes they resemble the word chir- 

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

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



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

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

 possess 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 (or at least the male) 

 have frequently wandered. 



B. AEDON. House Wren. A very common summer resi- 

 dent in southern New England, though locally distributed.* 



* A summer resident, locally com- cially in Connecticut), where it is found 

 mon in southern New England (espe- chiefly in or near towns and villages ; 



