TWELVE WINTER BIRDS. 281 



When thus engaged in active search for insect life, 

 and I never saw one of them otherwise, its bit of a tail 

 is somewhat spread out and raised almost perpendicu- 

 larly over the hack ; the neck is bent forward and the 

 straight bill stuck out ahead; thus giving the little 

 bird a most determined and inquisitive air. 



The length of the winter wren is not over four 

 inches from point of bill to tip of tail. The bill is 

 very straight, slender and conical. The tail is shorter 

 than the wings, which reach to its middle. In color 

 the body is deep reddish-brown above ; the brown 

 being everywhere, except on head and middle of back, 

 transversely barred with dusky. Below it is pale 

 reddish brown, sharply barred on the posterior half 

 with dusky. A line over the eye, some obscure 

 streaks on the sides of head and neck, and some bars 

 on the outer wing feathers are whitish. 



Other common names, besides "winter wren," are 

 "bunty wren"' 

 and "little log 

 wren," while 

 the long Latin 

 name is Troglo- 

 dytes hi emalis 

 V ieillot, the 

 first part of 

 which means 



"cave dweller" Fig. 78 Winter Wren. (After Coues.) 



and the last "wintry." 



Within the past five years I have seen twenty or 

 more specimens of this little wren between the months 

 of October and April, yet I have never heard one of 



