160 SYNONYMY AND DESCRIPTION OF ROCK WREN 



SalplnctfS ObSOletllS, Cnb. Arch. f. Naturg. 1847, Bd. i. 323 (type).— Bp. CA. i. 1850, 234.— 

 iW. BXA. 1858, ;i.57.— M. U. S. Mex. B. Surv. ii pt. ii. 1859, Birds, U.— Henry, Pc. 

 Phila. Acad. 1859, 107 (New Mexico).— Sci. PZS. 1859, 371 (Oaxaca).— X«/U. Pr. Phila. 

 Acad. 1859, 191 (California).— 5'. Sf S. Ibis, Ib60, 30 (Vera Paz). — Rd. Ives's Exped. pt. v. 

 1861, 6 (Colorado River.)— Hat/d. Tr. Am. Pbilos. Soc. xii. 18G2, 463.— M. Rev. AB. i. 

 1864, 110.— Coices, Ibis, 1865, 164 (Arizona).— Coiies, Pr. Phila. Acad. 1866, 77 (Arizona) .— 

 Cmies, Pr. Phila. Acad. 1868, 83 (Arizona).— Bi4«oA. Pr. Phila. Acad. 1868, 149 (Texas).— 

 Brown, Ibis, 1868, 421 (Vancouver).— Coop. Am. Nat. iii. 1869,73, 183, 297 (Upper Mis- 

 nomi).—Coop. B. Cal. i. 1870, 64, fig. — Coop. Pr. Cal. Acad. 1870, 75 (Colorado River).— 

 Coues, Key, 1872, So.—Alhri. Bull. MCZ. iii. 1872, 174.— f^oW. Pr. Bost. Roc. xv. 1872, 

 195 (Black Hills).— iJferr. U. S. Geol. Surv. Terr, for 1872, 1873, 673.— Trippe, Pr. Boat. 

 Soc. XV. 1873, 236 (Decatur County, Iowa).— Ridg. Bull. Ess. Inst. v. 1873 180 (Colo- 

 rii6n). — Trippe, Am. Nat. vii. 1873, 566 (the same).— .4//e7!, Am. Nat. vii. 1873, 363— 

 Ridsr. Am. Nat. vii. 1873, 605.— Alleti, Pr.Bost. Soc. xvii. 1874, 50 (Yellowstone River).— 

 Coues, BNW. 1874, 27, 230.— B(i. Br. (f Ry. NAB. i. 1874, 135, figs. pi. 8, f. 2. — Yarr. !( 

 Hensk. Rpp. Orn. Specs. 1874, 8.—Hensk. Rep. Orn. Specs. 1874, 41, 100.— TVeZso?*, Pr. 

 Bost. Soc. xvii. 187.5, 353 (Neva.<la.).—Heiish. Zool. Expl. W. 100 Merid. 1876, 179. 



SalplnctUS obSOletUS, Steo. U. S. Geol. Surv. Terr, for 1870, 1871, 461. 



Sulpinctrs obsoletUS, Merr. U. S. fteol. Surv. Terr, for 1872, 1873, 713. 



Tlirj'olhorus latifusciatiis, " IJcht Preis Verz. 1831, no. 82? " 



Itocky Mountain Wren, Rock Wren, Authors. 



Hab. — Western United States and Mexico. South to Guatemala. 



Cn. sp. — $ 9 Fusco-f/riseufi,, nigra et albido 2)unctatus, ohsoletd 

 fnsco-undulatus, uropygio rufescente; subtus albidiis postice rufes- 

 cens, guld obsolete fiisco- striata ; rectricibus mediis dorso concolori- 

 bus, fuscostriatis, lateralibus fulvis, nigrofasciatis. 



$ 9 ) adult : Upper parts pale browni.sh-j^ray, minutely dotted everywhere 

 with blackish and whitish points tot^ether, and usually showing obsolete 

 wavy bars of dusky. Rump cinnamon-brown ; a whitish superciliary line ; 

 beneath, soiled white, shading behind into pale cinnamon, the throat and 

 breast obsoletely streaked, and the under tail-coverts barred, with dusky. 

 Quills of the wings rather darker than the back, with similar markings on 

 the outer webs. Middle tail-feathers like the back, with many dark bars of 

 equal width with the lighter ones; lateral tail-feathers similarly marked on 

 the outer webs, plain on the inner webs, with a broad subtermiual black 

 baron both webs and cinnamon-brown tips, the latter usually marbled with 

 dusky ; outer feather with several blackish and cinnamon bars on both 

 webs. Bill and feet dark horn color, the former paler at base below. 

 Length, 5^-6: wing, 23-2* ; tail, 2i-2|; bill, f-f ; tarsus, f-i. 



Most of the markings of this species are blended and diffuse. The shade 

 of the upper parts is quite variable, from dull grayish to a more plumbeous 

 shade, often with a faint pinkish tinge. Specimens in worn and faded plum- 

 age may altogether fail to show the peculiar dotting with black and whitish 

 usually seen ; but, in these, the crosswise dusky undulation, as well as the 

 streaks on the breast, are commonly more distinct than in fresher-feathered 

 examples. The rufous tinge of the under parts is very variable in shade; 

 that of the rump, however, is always well marked. 



STATEMENTS to the efifect that the Rock Wren does not 

 occur on the Pacific side have no foundation in fact. In 



