10. Troglodytes hyemalis var. pacificus, Baird. W. T., 17434.
Occasionally its movements are like those of a Creeper, ascending to the upper branches of trees of a moderate height, or climbing a grapevine, searching diligently among the leaves and in the crevices of the bark for insects.
This species possesses a great variety and power of song. It is also said to have and to exhibit remarkable powers of imitation, with a great variety in its appropriated notes of other birds, giving, with modulations, the hoarse rattle of the Kingfisher, the lively notes of the Tufted Titmouse, the simple refrain of the Ground Robin, with those of the Grakles, the Meadow Lark, the Bluebird, and others. Like the common Wren, the Carolina generally builds its nest in the hollow of some tree or stump, or any other convenient cavity. At other times it constructs its own habitation without any other protection than the thick branches of a vine or shrub. In these situations they are long and deep, and have an artificial roofing, often separate from the nest itself. The materials employed in their construction are hay, grasses, leaves, feathers, horse-hair, and dry fibres of the long Spanish moss. They are softly and warmly lined with fur, hair, and feathers. The nest is not unfrequently five or six inches in depth, while the opening is not large enough to admit more than one bird at a time. They sometimes raise three broods in a season.
It breeds as far north as Philadelphia, Mr. Audubon having found its nest in a swamp in New Jersey, opposite that city.
Although seemingly studious of concealment, and shy and retiring in its habits, Nuttall frequently observed it in Tuscaloosa and other large towns in Alabama, appearing on the tops of barns and out-houses, singing with great energy.
Dr. Cooper, who enjoyed a favorable opportunity of watching these birds in Florida, in the spring and summer of 1859, found a nest of this Wren in the middle of March. It was built in a small box on a shelf in a mill, and was about four feet from the ground. It was arched over at the top, though this was not necessary to shelter it. This covering was formed of shavings, with a few small sticks and straws. Four eggs were laid. The birds were very tame, and were not alarmed by the loud noise of the mill, nor by a cat almost always present. Another nest found by Dr. Cooper was built in a small hole in the trunk of a tree, not more than six inches from the ground. This nest was not arched over. Its close proximity to a dwelling-house alone protected it from wild animals.
The eggs of this Wren are usually six or seven in number, and vary in size and shape. They are for the most part of a spheroidal-oval shape, though
some are more oblong than others. Their length varies from .75 to .70 of an inch, and their greatest breadth from .60 to .65. The ground-color is a reddish-white, profusely covered with blotches of purple, slate, reddish-brown, and red. These are generally and pretty equally diffused, and are not more abundant at the larger end than elsewhere.