WITH BROWN PREDOMINATING 287 



by regurgitation (see Foreword) at intervals averaging 

 every half-hour throughout the day, the periods being 

 longer from 8 to 10 a.m. and 12 to 3 p.m., but now 

 fresh food is given them. The young Wrens feather more 

 slowly than some young birds, and usually remain in the 

 nest until sixteen days old ; one brood could neither be 

 coaxed nor starved into flying until the twenty-first day. 

 The location of the nest seems to affect the time of their 

 departure, and, in cases where it is high up, with no near 

 perch, the little ones seem to be afraid to venture. For 

 some time after leaving home they are fed by both adults, 

 and sometimes return to the nest at night either alone 

 or with the mother bird. 



722 a. WESTERN WINTER WREN. — Xanfius 

 hiemalis pacijicus. 



Family : The Wrens, Thrashers, etc. 



Length: 3.60-4.25. 



Adults: Tail very short.; upper parts dark cinnainoii-brown, biiglite.st 



on niiup ; vvinr,'.s, tail, and sometimes back Hnoly barred with black ; 



line over eye, throat, and breast rust color ; rest of under parts darker 



and barred with dark. 

 Oeographical Distribution: Pacific coast from Alaska to Southern Califor- 

 nia ; south in winter to Mexico. 

 California Breeding Range: In the humid coast belt (Tnulsition), south 



to Point Sur. 

 Brrrdiiig Season : A])iil and May. 

 Nest: In crevices of stumps or logs ; a mass of moss, with hollow lined 



with feathers. 

 Eggs: 5 to 7 ; cream-white, thinly speckled with rusty. Si/e 0.»50 X 



0.48. 



J. N. Bowles says of this bird : " The stillness was 

 suddenly broken by the beautiful bell-like warble of the 



