CATALOGUE OF CANADIAN BIRDS. 699 



721a. Western House Wren. 



Troglodytes acdon Parkmanii (AuD.) A O. U. List. 1886. 



Observed as far west on the 49th parallel as the confines of the 

 Missouri coteau. The westernmost specimens, as well as those from 

 the immediate valley of the Red river appear to be typical acdon. 

 On the Red river, in June, the species was breeding very abundantly 

 in the neighbourhood of the fort and town of Pembina. (Coues.) 

 An abundant summer resident in partly wooded localities. Although 

 this bird usually nests in a hollow stump, it is not averse to a different 

 situation, provided only that it be a hole, and deep enough and 

 narrow enough to exclude any but the owner. If the hole chance 

 to be in the least a loose fit, his first care is to blockade the doorway 

 with the largest twigs he can carry until he has reduced it to his own 

 idea of snugness, and I learned to accept it as the infallible door- 

 plate of a wren's homestead, when a bundle of twigs was seen pro- 

 jecting from a cranny in some decrepit looking stump, hollow rail or 

 a knot-hole in an outhouse. {E. T. Seton.) A common summer 

 resident at Aweme, Manitoba; arrives about September 20th. 

 (Criddle.) Everywhere abundant in Manitoba and breeding as far 

 west as Edmonton, Alta. (Atkinson.) Very abundant along the 

 creeks in southwestern Saskatchewan. Nests in nearly every avail- 

 able hollow in box elders. (A. C. Bent.) One specimen of this wren 

 was procured by Mr. Drummond at the foot of the Rocky mountains, 

 but no others were seen by any of us to the eastward. (Richardson.) 

 Frequently seen at Prince Albert, Sask., in summer. (Coubeatix.) 

 First seen at Medicine Hat, Sask., May 15th, 1894; common by the 

 2oth; abundant at Crane lake. Skull creek and east end of Cypress 

 hills in June, breeding in holes in poplar trees and an occasional 

 telegraph pole at Crane lake ; this species was found breeding in holes 

 in trees at Old Wives lakes, Sask., and at Wood mountain, in June, 

 1895; later, another nest was taken in a hole in a clay bank along 

 Frenchman river, Sask. ; not rare in the wooded ravines on the 

 south side of the Cypress hills; a nest was taken built in a barn 

 swallow's nest on Sucker creek, which is the source of Frenchman 

 river; it was common on Spur creek, Milk river. Milk river ridge, 

 St. Mary river and Lee creek, southern Alberta; common from the 

 mouth of Lesser Slave river to Peace River Landing; breeding in 

 holes in trees and in the sandstone cliffs and cut banks of Peace river. 



