TWELVE WINTER BIRDS. 277 



some of the more important facts concerning his life 

 history. 



The great Carolina wren is "great" only in com- 

 parison with other wrens, being the largest of six 

 species which occur in Indiana, and the only one 

 which spends the entire year with us. Another, the 

 little winter wren, nests in northern regions and 

 spends the cold season from the latitude of central 

 Indiana, southward. The other four are " summer 

 residents," nesting in the State and going south in 

 autumn. All are plainly colored, being chiefly brown ; 

 and all, in the words of that eminent ornithologist, 

 Elliot Coues, are : " Sprightly, fearless, and impudent 

 little creatures, apt to show bad temper when they 

 fancy themselves aggrieved by cats or people, or any- 

 thing else that is big or unpleasant to them. They quar- 

 rel a good deal and are particularly spiteful towards 

 martins and swallows whose homes they often invade 

 and occupy. Their song is bright and hearty and they 

 are fond of their own music, but when disturbed at 

 it they make a great ado with noisy scolding." 



The bill of the Carolina wren is stouter than that 

 of the other species, and its front half is somewhat 

 decurved or bent downwards. The total length of 

 the bird is 5| to 6 inches, the tail being a little shorter 

 than the wings. In color it is clear reddish-brown 

 above, brightest on the rump, and with the feathers 

 of the wings and tail finely and prettily barred with 

 blackish. Below it is a tawny yellow. The throat 

 and cheeks are gray, while a narrow whitish line 

 curves backward over the eye, and a bar of small 

 white spots crosses the wings near their base. 



