GREAT CAROLINA WREN. 211 



This bird is frequently seen, early in May, along the shores 

 of the Delaware, and other streams that fall into it on both 

 sides, thirty or forty miles below Philadelphia ; but is rather 

 rare in Pennsylvania. This circumstance is a little extraordi- 

 nary, since, from its size and stout make, it would seem more 

 capable of braving the rigours of a northern climate than any 

 of the others. It can, however, scarcely be called migratory. 

 In the depth of winter I found it numerous in Virginia, along 

 the shores and banks of the James River, and its tributary 

 streams, and thence as far south as Savannah. I also observed 

 it on the banks of the Ogechee. It seemed to be particularly 

 attached to the borders of cypress swamps, deep hollows, 

 among piles of old decaying timber, and by rivers and small 

 creeks. It has all the restless, jerking manners of the wrens, 

 skipping about with great nimbleness, hopping into caves, and 

 disappearing into holes and crevices, like a rat, for several 

 minutes, and then reappearing in another quarter. It occa- 

 sionally utters a loud, strong, and singular twitter, resembling 

 the word chirr-rup, dwelling long and strongly on the first 

 syllable ; and so loud, that I at first mistook it for the red 

 bird (L. cardinalis). It has also another chant, rather more 

 musical, like "sweet William sweet William" much softer 

 than the former. Though I cannot positively say, from my 

 own observations, that it builds in Pennsylvania, and have 

 never yet been so fortunate as to find its nest, yet, from the cir- 

 cumstance of having several times observed it within a quarter 

 of a mile of the Schuylkill, in the month of August, I have 

 no doubt that some few breed here ; and think it highly pro- 

 bable that Pennsylvania and New York may be the northern 



to that of a mouse : it appears, and is out of sight in a moment ; peeps 

 into a crevice, passes rapidly through it, and shows itself at a different 

 place the next instant. These wrens often sing from the roof of an 

 abandoned fiat-boat. When the song is finished, they creep from one 

 board to another, thrust themselves through an auger hole, entering the 

 boat's side at one place, and peeping out at another." In them we have 

 exactly portrayed the manners of our British wren when engaged about 

 a heap of rubbish, old stones, or barrels in a farmyard. — Ed. 



