TROftLODYTIDuE — THE WRENS. i5,5 



Troglodytes parvulus, \ai. hyemalis, Vieill. 



WINTER WEEN. 



Sylvia troglodytes, WiLSOS, Ami. (Ini. I, ISOS, 139, pi. viii, f. tj. Troglodijtes hyemalis, 

 ViEiLLOT, Nouv. Diet. XXXIV, ISIW, 514. —AuD. Om. Biog. IV, 1838, 430, pi. 

 ccclx. — Ib. Birds Am. II, 1841, 128, pi. c.\xi. — Baikd, Birds N. Am. 1858, 369; 

 Rev. 114. — ScL.\TEit, P. Z. S. 1856, 290 (Cordova, Mex.). — Ib. Catal. ISCl, 23, no. 

 152. — Dall & Bannister (Alaska). — Coopeu, Oni. Cal. i, 1870, 73. 



Sp. Char. Bill very straight, sk'ndcr, and conical ; shortci' than the head. Tail con- 

 siderably shorter than the wings, which reach to its middle. Upper part.s leddish-brown; 

 becoming brighter to the rump and tail ; everywhere, except on the head and upper part 

 of the back, with transverse bars of dusky and of lightei-. Scapulars and wing-coverts 

 with spots of white. Beneath pale reddish-brown, barred on the posterior half of the 

 body with dusky and whitish, and spotted with white more anteriorly; outer web of 

 primaries similarly spotted with pale brownish-white. An indistinct pale line over the eye. 

 Length, about 4 inches; wing, 1.G6; tail, 1.2G. 



Hab. North .America generally. South to Coi'dova, Mex. 



Western specimens may lie .separated as a' variety pacijicus (Baird, Eev. 

 Am. Birds, 1804, 145), based on the mueh darker colors and the ahnost entire 

 absence of the wliitisli spots among tlie dark l)ars. Tlie under parts are more 

 rufous ; tlie tarsi are shorter, the claws larger, the liill straighter and more 

 slender. 



The Winter Wren is very closely related to the common Wren {T. parvu- 

 lus, Koch) of Europe, so mucli so, in fact, that the two almost seem to be 

 varieties of one species. The differences, as shown in a large series from 

 both continents, are the following : In T. -parvxilus there is a tendency to 

 more uniform shades ; and the prevailing tint anteriorly, beneath, is a pale 

 3'ellowish-ash, almost immaculate, instead of browuish-ochraceous, showing 

 minute specks and darker edges to the feathers. In extreme specimens of 

 T. panndm the bars even on the tail and wings (excei)t primaries, where 

 they are always distinct) are very olisolete, while on the lower juirts they are 

 confined to the flanks and crissum. Sometimes, however, sp)ecimens of the 

 two are found which are almost undistinguishable from each other. In 

 fact, it is only by taking the plainer European birds and comparing them 

 with the darker American examples from the northwest coast, that the dif- 

 ference between T. parvulus and T. hjcmalis is readily appreciable. 



Habits. The Winter Wren, nowhere very abundant, seems to be dis- 

 tributed over the whole of North America. Hardly distinguishable from 

 the common ^^'ren of Europe, it can scarcely be considered as distinct. 

 The haljits of our species certainly seem to be very different from those 

 assigned to the European bird, which in England apjjears to be as common 

 and as familiar a bird as even the Eedbreast. The small size and retiring 

 liabits of our species, as well as its unfrequent occurrence, and only in wild 

 places, combine to keej) its history in ddubt and uliseuvity. It is supposed 



/a.0^ 



