]46 NORTH AMKUICAX lilRDS. 



finer on the iuHidc, and lined willi varidtis kinds of aniniul I'ur -and willi 

 leathers, liolli birds \vori\ed to^etlier in eonslrni'tiny tiieir nest, hej^innin^' 

 on the lltii of Ajiril, and on the L'Ttli of the same niontii this contained 

 seven e,i,',us. The nest was not covered a' the to]), in the manner of the 

 (^irolimi Wren. In the foHowinj^ season anotiier jiair commenced hnildin^' 

 their nest in liis lied, in a lo,L;-li(aise. Driven from tiiese impossilih' (Hiarters, 

 tiu'V tried liie same e\|)eriment in vaiiiuis oliiei' parts of the luaise, Imt only 

 to aliandon it, and at last linished hy makiny a suecessfid attemiit in the 

 hay-loft. 'I'heir visits to that |iortion of (Ji'orjfia, he informed me, were 

 irrejj,iilar ami only oeeasional. In ISo',) he had not met with any birds of 

 this species for the s]iace of live years. 



The e^ys measure .(17 by .")(> of an inch in their average )iri|iortions, 

 resemblin.u somewhat those of the Carolina Wren, init havin.i;' a lighter 

 "ground, with fewer and liner markin,L;s of slate- and reddish-brown. The 

 },n'ountl-C(dor is of a iiinkish-white. 



Mr. A. iioucard obtained specimens ol' tiiese birds in the winter monlhs, 

 in the State of (laxaca, Mi'xico, pi'olialily of tiie var. /incoi/Ks/ir. 



AVe learn from Mr. llid;;\\ay that in S(aithern Illinois (as fur north as lati- 

 tude 'M" 20' 20") this Wren is very abundant, and the most familiar s]ii\cies 

 of the family. In certain localities (as in the Valh-y nf the Wabash) it 

 entirely icplaces the '/'riK/Zdi/i/fcs inlmi, the latti'r iicin^ wholly uid<no\\n. In 

 its habits it is even more familiar than that s|)ecies, always preferriii,i^ 

 tlie out-bnildin.us, e\en in lai'i^e towns, to the neighliorhooil of tla^ woods, 

 and still further inci'eases its atlractidiis by posscssin,i;' a charming son;.;', 

 ii real soikj, of sweet notes linely modulated, and uttered, generally, as 

 the liird |pcrch("^ pon a fence or tiie sialilc rooj', its head tbrnwn iiack, 

 and its long tai. pendent as it sings. The cunfused, gai)bling sputter of 

 7'. iii/iiii, uttered as it |ianses Just for an instant in its restless lio]iping 

 through the ivy. cannot iie compared tn the chant of liipiid musical notes 

 of this species, wliicii rescndilcs moi'e nearly, both in modulation and power, 

 that of the Son,g S|)arro\\ \ Mi/hs/h'-.k mi/di/iif], lhou,gli far superior to it. 

 On ordinary occasions the note of iJcwick's Wren is a soft, low /<///, uttered 

 as the bird hops alioiit the fence or stable, its long tail carried ujiright, and 

 Jcikcd to one side at each Imp. In ils moNcnu'Uts it is aitdgcther mure _ 

 deliberate and less restless than the 7'. /ii(/iiri('-'/ii's, >■ 7'riii//iii/i//i.'< tnlon, 

 neither of which it nmch resembles in motion, a. id si less in notes. The 

 nest of this Wren is usually buil' about the oul-liouses, ^ mortisi^-hole or 

 siaue wcll-cnucealiMl corner being gcnerallv selected. ( tld stables and ash- 

 hoppers ai'c especially frcipienlcd ;>s ncsting-]il:a('>. .Mr. IJidgway louud one 

 in the bottiim of the conical pmiinn of a (piail-ni't v>hicli was hung up in a 

 shed, and aunlliei' in a pi'ce cif stn\('-pipe which !ay horizontally in the gar- 

 ret ol a smokc-hiiuse ; another ii'sleil upon a Hat Imard over tiie do(ir of an 

 out-hinise, while a fnmili was jilaced behind the wcatiiei-linarding of a build- 

 ing, 'i'lu- nest is generally very bulky, though the lailk is regulated to suit 



