1 884.] 



The Carolina Wren; a year of its life. 



21 



I 



iFrom the American Naturalist, January, 1884.) 



THE CAROLINA WREN; A YEAR OF ITS LIFE. 



BY CHARLES C. ABBOTT, M.D. 



EARLY in the morning of Sept. i, 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 Jimmee, Jimmee, Jivbine'e, 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 in a weather-board with such 

 rapidity 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-liole, and this time it sang as 

 loudly, impatiently and frequently as before, but the notes were 

 different. It said, or seemedj to say, tsau-re-ta, tsau-re-ta, tm^- 

 re-ta. Had I not seen the bird I should have recognized it by a 

 peculiarity in its song, 'w^hich x^as npver wanting whatever might 

 be the particular notes it uttered. My attention bein-g called to this 

 little bird— the C^j-.olina wren (Thryothorus lud!pviciamis\-\ deter- 



The Sineing of Birds. B.P.Bicknell. 



Thryothorus ludovicianus. Carolina Wren. 

 This species is of too irregular occurrence to afford the requi- 

 site data for a knowledge of its habits of song during the entire 

 year. I have, however, heard its full song in April,-May (June 

 24.?) and August. Auk, I, April, 1884. l31 ■ 



