Early Breeding of the Carolina 

 Wren near Philadelphia. 



BY I. S. REIFF. 



On the first day of May, 1880, when on a col- 

 lecting trip, while walking along the bank of 

 a small stream, J saw a Carolina Wren {Thryo- 

 thorus ludovicianus), on a small sapling, singing 

 in such a joyous manner as to proclaim to the 

 world that the beautiful Spring had come once 

 again. Not having a good specimen of this 

 species in my collection, I shot the bird under 

 the impulse of the moment, and a fine male 

 was my reward. But. soon my joy was turned 

 to grief, for I found that I had ruthlessly shot 

 the father of a large family, and for many days 

 I was sorry my old gun had carried so true to 

 its marls:. 



In order to obtain the bird, I was compelled 

 to cross the stream to the side where it lay, and 

 the bank was about five feet high. VVlien 

 about half way up, imagine my surprise to hear 

 a sound I knew at once was made by none 

 other than young birds. I stopped and tried 

 to locate it, but before doing so it had ceased. 

 Making a slight noise with ray foot it was re- 

 peated and this time I was more fortunate, and 

 found it came from under a piece of sod tliat 

 had become detached from the top of the biink 

 and lodged in such a way as to form a cave-like 

 apartment, only two feet from where I was 

 standing, and a little higher up the bank. 



Dropping on my knees I looked under the 

 sod, and was very much astonished when my 

 eyes rested upon the nest of this species, con"- 

 taining six young birds fully fledged and not 

 less than two weeks old. After my amazement 

 had somewhat abated, I felt in the nest think- 

 ing there might be an addled egg; but when 

 my finger touched it the six youngsters flew 

 rapidly away, showing, though so young, they 

 knew how to use their little wings. 



I then went to the dead male, picked him up 

 and packed him carefully in my bag, feeling 

 very sorry for what I had so thoughtlessly 

 done. In the meantime, the female was busy \ 

 gathering her fatherless family, and after she 

 took them a short distance down the stream, I i 



returned and examined the nest. On lifting it 

 carefully, I found it was placed in a small cav- 

 lity in the bank, about two inches deep and four 

 f inclies in diameter, which must have been part- 

 ly, if not all excavated by the parent birds. 

 The bottom and sides of the nest were very 

 thick, making a warm and comfortable bed foV 

 the young birds, and the edge projected about 

 an inch above the cavity, making the depth 

 about three inches in all. Although having 

 a northern exposure, it was securely pro- 

 tected against wind and storm. 



I consider this a rare case of early breeding 

 in this locality, for allowing a week for nest 

 building, another week for laying the eggs, 

 eleven days for incubation, and stating the age 

 of the young birds at two weeks, this pair of 

 birds must have , commenced building on the 

 twenty-fifth of March. 



On May 15 of the same year, I found a nest 

 placed in a stone wall containing young birds 

 not more than two days old. I hope other col- 

 lectors will give the readers of the O. & O. 

 theii- experience of the early breeding habits of 

 this species in 'a.W/M!!^/.'"?^^'^'^^^- 6 3 



