96 Zoology of Colorado 



and foothills, wintering in the Southern States. This is another 

 bird which resembles a thrush. The true thrushes (Turdidae), 

 with some other families apparently of Old World origin, have the 

 tarsus "booted", not divided into plates except at the extreme 

 base. The Mimidae, along with numerous other related groups, 

 have the tarsus distinctly scutellate or divided into plates in front. 

 Bendire's Thrasher (Toxostoma bendirei of Coues) has been found 

 breeding in Huerfano County, but it is rare. It has the upper 

 parts pale grayish brown, the spotting beneath very indistinct, 

 the bill distinctly curved, with the lower mandible yellowish at 

 base. The Crissal Thrasher (T. crissale of Henry), with long 

 curved bill, has been found in Utah and Texas, and might be ex- 

 pected in southwestern Colorado. 



TROGLODYTIDAE 



The wrens are common to both sides of the world, but related 

 to the Mimidae, and almost certainly of America origin. They 

 are richly represented in Colorado, with seven genera. Only one, 

 the Desert Wren (Thryomanes bewicki eremophilus) has the tail 

 slightly longer than the wing. It is a rare bird with us, but the 

 records are well scattered over the State. The outer toe is much 

 longer than the inner in the Canon Wren (Catherpes mexicanus 

 conspersus) and the Rock Wren (Salpindes obsoletus), both of 

 which occur frequently, the former resident through the year, the 

 latter coming from the south in April. The Canon Wren may be 

 distinguished by the pure white throat and breast. The type 

 locality of the Rock Wren is near the junction of Plum Creek with 

 the South Platte. If the outside toe is not markedly longer than 

 the inner, the bird is one of the four remaining genera. Two of 

 these (Nannus and Cistothorus) are extremely rare, but the other 

 two occur frequently. The Western House Wren (Troglodytes 

 aedon parkmani of Audubon) is cinnamon brown above, the back, 

 wings and tail with dusky cross-bars. The Western Marsh Wren 

 (Telmatodytes palustris plesius) has the middle of the back black 

 streaked with white. It lives in marshy places, as its name in- 

 dicates. Another race of this species (7\ p. iliacus) has been re- 

 corded (Condor, vol. 14, p. 151). 



