1884. | The Carolina Wren; a year of its life. 21 
tongue-sheath is represented at a; the epiglottis at 6; and the 
rima-glotidis (aperture of the windpipe) at c. 
The epiglottis is a thin, erect, flexible, flag-shaped or curved- 
spatulate body, situated upon the median line immediately in 
front of the rima-glotidis, and with its free end directed upward 
and backward, its posterior edge curving partly over the rima. It 
is evidently this epiglottis that produces the hoarseness of the 
hissing sound, which it accomplishes by dividing, and fluttering 
in, the strong current of air which is forced from the lung out of 
the rima. 
That this peculiar body is really the homologue of the epiglot- 
tis in the higher animals, is shown by its position in relation to 
the other parts of the mouth. It differs from the epiglottis in 
those animals by being placed longitudinally instead of trans- 
versely, and in not being hinged, and therefore not capable of 
falling down to cover the rjma in the act of swailowing. As ser- 
pents’ food is not comminuted, but swallowed whole, such pro- 
tection to the rima is unnecessary. we 
:0: 
THE CAROLINA WREN; A YEAR OF ITS LIFE. 
BY CHARLES C. ABBOTT, M.D. 
Ewe in the morning of Sept. 1, 1882, as I was passing near 
the stable, my attention was called to the shrill notes of an 
excited little bird that, darting from the building, alighted on the 
fence near by and screamed /immée, Jimmée, Jimmée, so loudly, 
that every James in the township should have hastened thither. — 
No response came, and again the call, a clear, penetrating whistle, 
was repeated. This continued, at brief intervals, for two or three 
minutes, and then, as quickly as it came, the bird flew back to the 
stable, entering through a knot-hole ina weather-board with such 
_Tapidity of movement that I could but marvel at its dexterity. 
_ Half an hour later I saw this same bird again, coming from 
the stable through the same knot-hole, and this time it sang as 
loudly, impatiently and frequently as before, but the notes were 
different. It said, or seemed to say, tsau-ré-ta, tsau-ré-ta, tsat- 
aeg é-ta. Had I not seen the bird I should have recognized it by a 
=~ Peculiarity in its song, which was never wanting whatever might 
~ be the particular notes it uttered. My attention being called to this 
: little bird—the Carolina wren (Thryothorus /ndovicianus)—I deter- 
t 
