WRENS, THRASHERS, ETC. 449 



family that I watched in southern California it was six weeks from 

 the time they began building before the young left the nest. 



721b. T. a. aztecus Baird. Aztec Wren. 



Like/)ar^•?««/a'^ but grayisli brown. 



Distribution. — Western United States except the Pacific coast, east to 

 the Mississippi Valley ; south to southern Mexico. 



Aztecus is the same jolly little songster SiS pai'kmanii, clambering 

 over your tent and balancing the twigs he carries to his nest, saying 

 and doing the same things at 9000 feet in the coniferous forest of the 

 mountains of Xew Mexico as the Parkman at sea-level in the hot val- 

 leys of southern California. 



GENUS OLBIORCHILUS. 



722a. Olbiorchilus hiemalis pacificus (Baird). Western 

 Winter Wren. 



Tail less than three fourths as long- as wing- ; outstretched feet reaching- 

 far beyond its end. Upper parts dark brown, brig-hter on rump and upper 

 tail coverts ; wings, tail, and often back and rump 

 narrowly barred with blackish ; superciliary stripe, 

 throat, and breast, tawny ; belly and under tail coverts 

 barred; flanks darker. Length: ;]. 00-4. 1^5, wing- 1. SO- 

 LDO, tail 1.2()-1.;J."^, exposed ctdmen .40-.4.5. ^'g- 574. 



Distribution. — Breeds on Pacific coast from Sitka south to southern 

 California and east to Idaho ; ranges to western Mexico in winter. 



Nest. — In coniferous woods in crevices of dead log-s or stumps, made of 

 moss and lined with feathers. J^ggs : 5 to 7, white or creamy, finely but 

 sparing-ly spotted with reddish brown. 



Food. — Larg-ely worms and small white grubs found in the bark of trees. 



While the voluble house wrens are alwa3's coming to the front 

 singing with heads up and tails hanging, loudly publishing all 

 their affairs, the quiet little winter wrens, with heads peering down 

 and stubby tails cocked over their backs, are silentl}' creeping over 

 the logs and investigating all the darkest cracks and crannies of the 

 fallen timber. In the redwood forests Mr. Bailey has found them 

 bobbing out from under old logs, diving into hollow stumps or brush 

 heaps, their somber color blending with the brown leaves, brown 

 bark, and brown wood. In the deeper shade of the darker nooks and 

 liollows they disappear entirely, droll Lilliputians making their homes 

 among the giant redwoods. 



GENUS CISTOTHORUS. 



General Cfiararters. — Back streaked with tihick and white ; tail gradu- 

 ated for about half its leng-th. 



KEY TO ADl'LTS. 



1. Hill as htng- a.s liead. 



L'. Bars on tail coverts indistinct or wanting-. Ejist of Iu)cky Mountains. 



palustris, p. 450. 

 2'. Bars on tail coverts distinct. 



