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GREAT CAROLINA WREN. 
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 
circumstance 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 
probable that Pennsylvania and New York may be the 
northern boundaries of their visits, having sought for it in 
vain among the states of New England. Its food appears to 
consist of those insects, and their larvse, that frequent low, 
damp caves, piles of dead timber, old roots, projecting banks 
of creeks, &c. It certainly possesses the faculty of seeing in 
the dark better than day birds usually do ; for I have observed 
it exploring the recesses of caves, where a good acute eye 
must have been necessary to enable it to distinguish its prey. 
In the southern states, as well as in Louisiana, this species 
is generally resident; though in summer they are more 
numerous, and are found rather farther north than in winter. 
In this last season their chirruping is frequently heard in 
gardens soon after daybreak, and along the borders of the 
great rivers of the southern states, not far from the sea coast. 
The Great Wren of Carolina is five inches and a quarter 
long, and seven broad; the whole upper parts are reddish 
brown, the wings and tail being barred with black ; a streak 
of yellowish white runs from the nostril over the eye, down 
the side of the neck, nearly to the back ; below that, a streak 
of reddish brown extends from the posterior part of the eye 
to the shoulder ; the chin is yellowish white ; the breast, sides, 
and belly, a light rust colour, or reddish buff ; vent-feathers, 
white, neatly barred with black ; in the female, plain ; wing- 
coverts, minutely tipt with white ; legs and feet, flesh coloured, 
and very strong ; bill, three quarters of an inch long, strong, 
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