BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 655 



h. I^arger; adult male averaging, wing (58.5, tail 54, exposed culnien 25.6, tarsus 

 19.(5; adult female, wing G0.5, tail 51.3, exposed culnien 21.7, tarsus 18.5. 

 (Northeastern and east-central portion of Mexican plateau.) 



Catherpes mexicanus albifrons (p. 657) 

 hb. Smaller; adult male averaging, wing 58.2, tail 50.5, exposed culmen 20, tarsus 

 17.7; adult female, wing 57.2, tiiil 49.5, exposed culmen 18.8, tarsus 17.3. 

 (Colorado, Utah, Nevada, southeastern California, and parts of Arizona.) 



Catherpes mexicanus conspersus (p. 658) 



N'ariously intermediate between the two smaller iinrtliern and two larger southern 



forms,as characterized above. (Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, soutliern Califftrnia, 



Lower California, Sonora, and Chihuahua. ). Catherpes mexicanus polioptilus (].. 060) 



CATHERPES MEXICANUS MEXICANUS ( Swainson). 

 MEXICAN CANYON WREN. 



Adults {sexes alike). — Above, deep sepia or bistre brown, the back, 

 ■scapulars, and rump (especially the last) more chestnut brown or van- 

 dyke, the whole surface (except wings) more or less distinctly verniicu- 

 lated with dusky and more or less profuseh" dotted or flecked with 

 white ;'^ upper tail-coverts chestnut with a subterminal small, blackish 

 spot of dusky, and usually one of whitish, often with additional indis- 

 tinct narrow, blackish bars, very rarely wholl}^ immacidate; tail clear 

 chestnut or deep cinnamon-rufous, crossed (on both webs) by distant 

 narrow bars* of black, these much broader on the lateral than on the 

 middle rectrices; malar and suborbital regions, lower half (approxi- 

 mately) of auricular region, chin, throat, and upper chest immaculate 

 white; rest of under parts rich chestnut, fading anteriorly (on lower 

 chest) into pale cinnamon-rufous, the deeper colored (chestnut) por- 

 tion more or less distincth* barred or speckled with l)lack and dotted 

 or flecked with white;'' maxilla dusk}- horn color, with paler tomia; 

 mandible dull whiti-sh (in dried skins) basalh', becoming graj'ish or 

 dusky terminally; iris brown; legs and feet blackish or dark brown. 



Young. — Similar to adidts, but upper parts more coarsely vermicu- 

 lated with dusky and with few if any white specks or dots; chestnut 

 of abdomen, etc., duller, immaculate, or with very indistinct narrow 

 dusky bars, mostly on flanks. 



Adult male. — Length (skins), 138-156 (147.9); wing, (54.5-72 (G8); 



"There is great individual variation in the amount or extent of this wliite dotting 

 or speckling, which rarely is so sparse as to be nearly absent. Occasionally the wliite 

 markings take the form of short streaks, but usually they are more or less roundish 

 in form. 



^There is great individual variation in the wi<ltli of the.-<e l)lack bars, those on the 

 middle rectrices varying (on different specimens) from less than one millimeler to 

 nearly two millimeters in v.idth, those on the lateral rectrices from about one and a 

 half to three millimeters. 



'"The white sjieckling sometimes obsolete, especially in worn summer jilumage. 



