TROGLODYTID.E THRYOTHORUS BEWICKII. 31 



THRYOTHOliUS BEWICKII, (Aud.) Bp. 



Bewick's Wren. 



a. beicicliii. 



Troglodytes hewickn, Aud., Orn. Biog. i, 1831, 96 ; v, 1838, 467 ; pi. 18.— Aud., Syn. 1839, 

 74.— Aud., B. Am. ii, 1841, 120, pi. 118.— Ntjtt., Mau. i, 1832, 434.— Less., Rev. 

 Zool. 1840, 264. — Woodh., Sitgv. Rep. 1853, 67 (ludiau Territory, very abuu- 

 dant). — Tjuppe, Pr. Ess. Inst. vi. 1871, 115 (Minuesota, common, breeding). 



Thryofhonts bcwickii, Bp., List, 1838, 11.— Bp , Consp. i, 18,50, 221.— Bd., B. N. A. 1858, 363; 

 Rev. 1864, 126.— Coues, Pr. Boat. Soc. xii, 1868, 108 (Soutli Carolina, resi- 

 dent?). — TUKXB., B. E. Pa. 1869, 20 (rare, in summer only).- Sxow, B. Kaus. 

 6.— Coues, Key, 1872, 86. 



Tehnatodytes hewicJcil, Cab., Mus. Hein. 1850, 78. 



b. leucogaster. 



Troglodytes leucogastra, Gould, P. Z. S. 1836, 89 (Tamaulipas). 



Thryothonts lei(co(;aster, Bp., Consp. i, 1850, 222; Notes Orn. Delattre, 1854, 43. 



Thryotlwrus heicfckii, ScL., P. Z. S. 1859, 371 (Oaxaea).— Coues, Pr Pliila. Acad. 1866, 



78 (Arizona). 

 Thryothorus heicifkii var. leucogaster, Bd., Rev. 1864, 127. — Coues, Key, 1872, 86. 



c. spilurus. 



Ti'oglodytes sjnlurits, ViG., Zool. Beechey's Voy. 1839, 18, pi. 4, f. 1 (California). 



Thryolhoriis fiplhtrm, Coop., B. Cal. i, 1870, 69. 



Troglodytes beivickii, Newb., P. R. R. Rep. vi, 18.57, 80. — Heerm., ibid, x, 1859, part vi, 



40.— Coop. & Suck., N. H. Wash. Ter. 1860, 189. 

 Thryothorus bewiekii var. S2)ilurus, Bo., Rev. 1864, 126. — CouES, Key, 1872, 86. 



Hub. — Easteini United States, north to Pennsylvania and Minnesota ; west to Kansas. 

 Var. leucogaster in Soathwestern United States and Mexico. Var. sjnlurus along the 

 whole Pacilic coast. United States and southward. 



Obtained by none of the Expeditious. 



Like tbe Caroliua Wren, Bewick's is essentially a southern species. Its 

 northern limit, in the Atlantic States, is Pennsylvania, where it is rare, 

 and only tbnnd in snuiiner. Mr. Turnball gives it in his list, and Prof. 

 Baird took it at Ciirlisle. It appears to be uncommon all along the line. 

 I do not recollect that I ever saw it in Maryland, Virginia, or either of 

 the Caroliuas, and I never collected a specimen. In the interior, how- 

 ever, it is abundant in some regions; thus, Mr. Eidgway tells me, it is 

 very common in Southern Illinois, where it replaces the House Wren, to 

 the nearly complete exclusion of the latter, and has the same semi-do- 

 mesticated ways, breeding about out-houses aud gardens. In the Mis- 

 sissippi Valley, moreover, it proceeds furthest north. Mr. Trippe records 

 it as commou in Minnesota, where it breeds. The egg^ of which I have 

 only seen two or three authentic examples, is white, speckled with lilac 

 and darker slaty shades of brown, chiefly about the larger end. The egg 

 resembles that of a Titmouse or Creeper, but the markings are darker 

 and the size greater — from 0.70 by 0.52 to O.OG by 0.51. 



In the soutli west I found the white-bellied variety of Bewick's Wren 

 extremely abundant. It was the characteristic Wren about Fort Whii)- 

 ple, in Arizona, though the House Wren was very common there too. 

 Similarly, var. S2)iluriis abounds in the wooded portions of California. 

 In their habits, these varieties are identical with the ct)mmon form, ex- 

 cept in so far as certain points may be modified to suit circumstances, 

 especially in the matter of nesting, in which, as is well known, most 

 birds accommodate themselves very easily to their surroundings. Pos- 

 sessing few, if any, dislinctive traits, there is very little to be said of 

 Bewick's AVren not ecjually api)lical)le to its numerous relatives, whose 

 restlessness, curious excitable temper, and odd energetic actions, are 

 familiar to every one. It is an accomplished and versatile songster; 

 though its notes have not the ring and volume of those ot the Carolina 

 Wren, it has a very [)retty song of its own. varied at its whim, (]uite 

 unlike the simpler trilling of the House or Marsh Wren. 



