GREAT CAROLINA WREN. 71 



thirty or forty miles below Philadelphia; but is rather rare in 

 Pennsylvania. This circumstance is a little extraordinary; 

 since, from its size, and stout make, it would seem more capable 

 of braving the rigors of a northern climate than any of the others. 

 It can, however, scarcely be called migratory. In the depth of 

 winter I found it numerous in Virginia along the shores and 

 banks of the James river and its tributary streams, and thence 

 as far south as Savannah. I also observed it on the banks of the 

 Ogechee; it seemed to be particularly attached to the borders of 

 cypress swamps, deep hollows, among piles of old decaying 

 timber, and by rivers and small creeks. It has all the restless 

 jerking manners of the Wrens, skipping about with great nim- 

 bleness, hopping into caves, and disappearing into holes and 

 crevices like a rat, for several minutes, and then reappearing 

 in another quarter. It occasionally utters a loud, strong, and 

 singular twitter, resembling the word chirr-rup, dwelling long 

 and strongly on the first syllable; and so loud that I at first mis- 

 took it for the Red-bird, L. cardinalis. It has also another 

 chant, rather more musical, like " Sweet William, Sweet Wil- 

 liam," much softer than the former. Though I cannot posi- 

 tively say, from my own observations, that it builds in Penn- 

 sylvania, and have never yet been so fortunate as to find its 

 nest; yet, from the circumstance of having several times obser- 

 ved it within a quarter of a mile of the Schuylkill., in the month 

 of August, I have no doubt that some few breed here, and 

 think it highly probable that Pennsylvania and New York may 

 be the northern boundaries of their visits, having sought for it 

 in vain among the states of New England. Its food appears to 

 consist of those insects and their larvae that frequent low damp 

 caves, piles of dead timber, old roots, projecting banks of 

 creeks, &c. &c. It certainly possesses the faculty of seeing in 

 the dark better than day birds usually do; for I have observed 

 it exploring the recesses of caves, where a good acute eye must 

 have been neccessary to enable it to distinguish its prey. 



In the southern states, as well as in Louisiana, this species is 

 generally resident; though in summer they are more numer- 



