A FAMILY OF LIVELY SINGERS 47 



after spiders, searching among the trees to provide a dinner 

 for their large families, or creeping, like little feathered 

 mice, in queer nooks and crannies among the outbuildings 

 on the farm, they are always busy in your interest which is 

 also theirs. It certainly pays, in every sense, to encourage 

 wrens. 



The Carolina Wren 



The house wrens have a tiny cousin, a mite of a bird 

 called the winter wren, that is so shy and retiring it is diflS- 

 cult to become acquainted with it where it hides in mossy, 

 rocky woods near water. But a larger chestnut-brown 

 bird, all finely waved and barred with darker markings, as 

 all these relatives are, is the Carolina wren which is quite 

 common in the Middle and Southern states. (See plate, 

 page 51 .) However, it, too, really prefers the forest under- 

 growths near water, fallen logs, half -decayed stumps, and 

 mossy rocks where insects lurk but cannot hide from his 

 sharp, peering eyes. Now here, now there, appearing and 

 disappearing, never at rest, even his expressive tail being in 

 constant motion, he seems as nervously active as Jenny 

 Wren's fidgety husband. His loud-ringing, three-syllabled 

 whistle — Tea-ket-tle, Tea-ket-tle, Tea-ket-tle — suggests the 

 crested titmouse's peto of two syllables, but in quality 

 only. 



The Brown Thrasher 



Length — 11 to 11.5 inches. Fully an inch longer than the 

 robin. 



Male — ^Rusty red-brown above; darkest on wings, which 

 have two short whitish bands. Underneath white, 

 heavily streaked (except on throat) with dark-brown. 



