218 BULLETIN 195, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



fronds were swayed by every passing breeze, yet in such a manner as not 

 to injure the structure which was between them. 



In all other respects the habits of the Florida wren seem to be very 

 similar to those of the northern race. 



Eggs. — The eggs of the Florida wren are substantially like those of 

 the Carolina wren. The measurements of 40 eggs average 19.0 by 14.8 

 millimeters ; the eggs showing the four extremes measure 20.5 by 14.9, 

 19.8 by 15.8, 16.3 by 14.9, and 18.6 by 14.2 millimeters. 



THRYOTHORUS LUDOVICIANUS LOMITENSIS Sennett 



LOMITA WREN 



Plate 38 



HABITS 



This small, dull-colored subspecies seems to occupy a rather limited 

 range in the lower valley of the Rio Grande, in Texas and in northern 

 Tamaulipas, in Mexico. The map published by Mr. Lowery (1940) 

 shows decided gaps between the range of this race and the ranges of 

 berlandieri, in Mexico, and his new race oberholseri, in southern Texas. 

 He says: "When one views the great areas apparently uninhabited by 

 Carolina wrens bordering the Rio Grande above and below Laredo, 

 the isolation of lomitensis becomes obvious. It thus seems highly 

 improbable that lomitensis comes geographically in contact with other 

 races thereby suggesting a factor which might be responsible for its 

 clear-cut taxonomic characters." In naming this race, George B. 

 Sennett (1890) describes it well as follows: 



Compared with T. ludovicianus this race is much lighter in its general appear- 

 ance ; the color of the back is also different, ludovicianus being reddish brown 

 or briglit cinnamon, while lomitensis is of the chocolate order of browns, fading 

 into grayish brown during the breeding season. There is also more white on 

 lomitensis than on ludovieiamis ; the barring of the tail is also different. In 

 ludovicianus the bars of black are wonderfully regular, extending across both 

 webs in a continuous line, while in lomitensis the bars of black are joined by a 

 shading of white or creamy and are broken and irregular, thus giving the general 

 mottled appearance and lighter color. The flanks, too, in all old birds of lomi- 

 tensis show a decided tendency to barring, while in ludovicianus this is want- 

 ing. * * * 



This new race seems to be resident in that part of the Rio Grande "Valley lying 

 adjacent to the river where the forest is heaviest, for none of the forms of this 

 genus has been taken either above or below this tinjhcr tract. Hidalgo, where 

 I first obtained the birds, and Lomita Ranch, where I secured the greatest number, 

 are situated only eight miles apart on the Texas side of the river. In this locality 

 the heavy timber is near the river, and north of it the chaparral extends for a 

 distance of about fifteen miles; next, still northward, lies a desert of sand reach- 

 ing more than fifty miles until it meets the strong vegetable gi'owth of the valley 

 of the Nueces River. 



Mr. Sennett (1878) had collected a number of these wrens in the 

 above locality some dozen years earlier, which he recorded under the 



