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BEWICK'S WREN. 



Troglodytes Bewickii. 



PLATE XVIII. Male. 



The bird represented under the name of Bewick's Wren I shot on 

 the 19th October 1821, about five miles from St Francisville, in the State 

 of Louisiana. It was standing as nearly as can be represented in the po- 

 sition in which you now see it, and upon the prostrate trunk of a tree not 

 far from a fence. My drawing of it was made on the spot. Another in- 

 dividual was shot a few days after, by a young friend, Joseph R. Mason, 

 who accompanied me on my rambles. In the month of November 1829, 

 I had the pleasure of meeting with another of the same species, about fif- 

 teen miles from the place above mentioned, and as it was near the house 

 at which I was then on a visit, I refrained from killing it, in order to 

 observe its habits. For several days, during which I occasionally saw it, 

 it moved along the bars of the fences, with its tail generally erect, look- 

 ing from the bar on which it stood towards the one next above, and 

 caught spiders and other insects, as it ran along from one pannel of the 

 fence to another in quick succession, now and then uttering a low twitter^ 

 the only sound which I heard it emit. It occasionally hopped sidewise, 

 now with its head towards me, and again in the contrary direction, at 

 times descending to the ground, to inspect the lowest bar, but only for 

 a few moments. At other times, it would fly to a peach or apple-tree 

 close to the fence, ascend to its top branches, always with hopping move- 

 ments, and, as if about to sing, would for an instant raise its head, and 

 lower its tail, but without giving utterance to any musical notes. It 

 would then return to the fence, and continue its avocations as already de- 

 scribed. I shot the bird, and have it preserved in spirits. 



In shape, colour and movements, it nearly resembles the Great Ca- 

 rolina Wren, and forms a kind of link between that bird and the House 

 Wren, an account of which you will find in this volume. It has not the 

 quickness of motion, nor the Uveliness, of either of these birds. Where 

 it comes from, and whither it goes to breed, are quite unknown to me. 



I have honoured this species with the name of Bewick, a person too 



