BIRDS OF MINNESOTA. 415 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



Fifth quill longest; third, fourth, and sixth, little shorter; 

 second equal to ninth; exposed portion of the bill shorter than 

 fhe head; outline of lower mandible straight; above, light cin- 

 namon-red; beneath, pale rufous, white with longitudinal 

 streaks of dark-brown, excepting on the chin, throat, middle 

 of belly, and under tail coverts; these spots anteriorly are 

 reddish-brown in their terminal portion; the inner surface of 

 the wing, and the inner edges of the primaries, cinnamon; con- 

 cealed portions of quills otherwise, dark-brown; median and 

 greater wing coverts, blackish -brown towards the end, followed 

 by white, thus producing two conspicuous bands; tail feathers 

 all rufous, the external ones obscurely tipped with whitish 

 the shafts of the same color as the vanes. 



Length, 11.50; wing, 4.15; tail, 5.20; tarsus, 1.30. 



Habitat, eastern United States and west to the Rocky Moun- 

 tains. 



THRYOTHORUS LI DOVICIANUS (Latham). (718.) 

 CAROLINA WREN. 



I had no expectation of ever seeing this bird in Minnesota, 

 but it is well identified now, although exceedingly rare. My 

 first was obtained in the immediate vicinity as far back as 1868, 

 since when it has been taken in several remote localities, but 

 I have no knowledge of its breeding here. That it does scar- 

 cely admits of a doubt, for its observation embraces all the 

 months from May to August, arriving about the 12th of the 

 former month and retiring about the 25th of the latter. Mr. 

 Holsinger reports it as obtained at Dodge Centre, and is in his 

 list of birds of Winona county. Mr. Lewis reports it from 

 Big Stone lake, and several others have been sent to the local 

 taxidermists from different sections for mounting. Yet it 

 must be still held as very rare, although not quite a straggler. 



SPECIFIC characters] 



Exposed portion of the bill shorter than the head. Above 

 reddish -brown, most vivid on the rump; a whitish streak over 

 the eye, bordered above with dark-brown; throat whitish, rest 

 of under parts pale-yellow rusty, darkest toward the under 

 tail coverts, which are conspicuously barred with black. Ex- 

 posed surface of the wings and tail (including the upper cov- 

 erts) barred throughout with brown outer edges of the tail 

 feathers and quills showing series of alternating whitish and 

 dusky spots. Legs flesh colored. 



Length, 6; wing, 2.60; tail, 2.45. 



Habitat, eastern United States, west to the Plains. 



