228 BIRDS — -TROaLODYTIDiE. 



FAMILY TROGLODYTIDiE. THE WRENS. 



Primaries ten. No|trila -wholly exposi-d, scaled, TarsDS d'stiictly sciitellate. So 

 ricral bristles, but loral feathers with bristly poiuts Bill slender, not notched nor 

 hooked. Wings and tail moderately rorinded, neither very much shorter than the 

 other. Size small, odor brown, etc. The wingi and tail barred or undulated. 



First primary not less than half the second, and inner toe united to the middle by at 

 least half the leugth of its basal joint. 



Genus THRYOTHOEfJS. Vieillot. 



Bill decurved. 'J'- 1;.-. imt reaching to the end of tail. Tarsus longer than the midd'e 

 toe. Wings about equnl to i i.<- .iched, nearly even tail. 



Thryothorus ludovicianus (Lath.) Bp. 



Gi-reat Carolina VS^ren. 

 Troglodytes ludovicianns, KiRTLANi), Ohio Geolog. Surv., 1H.H8, 168, 183 ; Family Visitor, i, 

 1b50, 4ia. — AUDDBUN, B. Am. ii, 1811, 116 — Read, Proc. Philad. Acad. Nat. Sci., vi, 



1H&3, -.m. 



Thryothorus ludovicianns, Baird, P. R. K. Rep , ix, 18.58, 302. — Wbeatcin, Ohio Agric. Rep. 

 for 18i,0, 365, 37.5 ; Reprint, lr-61, 7, 17 ; Food of Birds, etc, Ohio Agric. Rep. for 1»74, 

 563; Reprint, 1875, 3.— DuHY, Bull. Nutt. Orn. CJub.'ii, 1877, 50.— Langdon, Cat. 

 Birds of Ciu., 1877, 4; Eoviued List, Jouru. Cin. Soc. Nat, Hist,, i, 1879, 170; Re- 

 print, 4. 



Sylvia ludoviciana, Latham, Ind. Om., ii, 17U0, 548. 



Troglodytes ludoviciana, " LiCHT., \ erz., 1823, 35 " 



Thryothorus ludoviciana, Bonapaktk, Geog: and Gomp. List., 1838, 11. 



Tail not longer than the wings, all its feathers with unmerous fine Mack bars. Above 

 clear reddish-brown, slightly grayer on head, brightest on rump ; below tawny of vary- 

 ing shade; long couspicuons superciliary line white or tawny ; wings edged with color 

 of back, and dusky waved; wing coverts, usually whitish spotted; under tail coverts 

 usually blackish baried; sides of body unmarked. Length 5-} to nearly ii; wings SJ-, 

 tail rather less 



Habitat, Eastern United States, rather southern, north to New York; Connecticut and 

 Massachusetts rate. 



Abundant in Southern, cfcmmon and resident in Middle, rare in North- 

 ern Ohio. This is the largest of our Wrens. It is to be found almost 

 everywhere, but prefers the wooded or rocky banks of streams, piles 

 of logs and brush heaps in woodland, ravines, windfalls, and' wherever 

 nature, accident or design has provided a place where it can make itself 

 conspicuous one instanc, and be entirely concealed the next. Its varied 

 and powerful notes distinguished it from all others of its family with us. 

 When busily searching on ihe ground or in a pile of logs for food it utters 

 frequently alow complaining warble or twitter, as if for its own edifica- 

 tion or that of its companion. Its ordinary call note or alarm is a loud 

 chirr-chirr sometimas loud and hardh, sometimes low and soft, often pro- 

 longed. Its song is really a remarkable peformance. Mounting to the end 



