180 BULLETIN 195, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



tenderest strains that I know. It recalls that of the song sparrow, but 

 is more prolonged, varied, and expressive." A. W. Butler (1898) re- 

 ports a long period of song, as heard in Indiana, from the last of March 

 until the end of August ; and once it was heard on October 14. He says 

 that the common alarm note is plit; and they have "a finer rattling note 

 than that uttered by the Carolina Wren. * * * One song I have 

 written chip^ chip chip^ te-da-a^ te-dee; another, cheep^ cheep^ 

 che-we-e-e-e. A third song sounds something like lohee-to-weet^ a-her^ 

 che-chee; while one of its most familiar efforts seems to be expressed 

 by chick ^ click^ for me-e, for you.^^ 



Ridgway (1889) says that the song is "not a voluble gabble, like the 

 House Wren's merry roundelay, but a fine, clear, bold song, uttered as 

 the singer sits with head thrown back and long tail pendent, — a song 

 which may be heard a quarter of a mile or more, and in comparison 

 with which the faint chant of the Song Sparrow sinks into insignifi- 

 cance." 



Howell and Oldys (1907) made a careful study of various songs of 

 this wren, and state that "in imitative ability the Bewick Wren has, 

 apparently, no rival among our eastern birds other than the Mocking- 

 bird, by which, however, it is greatly excelled. * * * j^ seems to be 

 better entitled to the sobriquet of 'Mocking Wren,' than the Carolina 

 Wren, on which the name is sometimes inappropriately bestowed." 



Francis H. Allen (MS.) writes the song as ^'■tBip-ta-tzce-ta-tTill-zip, 

 or pit-zee-ta-triW, both infrequent." And he calls the scolding note a 

 buzzing dss. He says that the ordinary song is like a song sparrow's, 

 but has a minor strain near the beginning suggestive of the fox spar- 

 row, and ends in a trill. 



Field 7narks. — Bewick's wren is smaller than the Carolina wren and 

 larger than the house wren. It has a much longer tail than either; 

 the tail is rounded at the tip and appears broader there than at the 

 base ; the lateral tail feathers are tipped with white spots, which show 

 when the tail is spread ; the tail is frequently in motion. There is a 

 conspicuous white line over the eye. The back is grayer, less reddish 

 brown, than in the Carolina wren, the underparts are lighter colored, 

 and the bird is more slender. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — From the southwestern British Columbia and the Pacific 

 coast region ; and from central United States to southern Mexico. 



Breeding range. — The Bewick's wren breeds north to southwestern 

 British Columbia (Comox, V. I., Chilli wack, and casually to Howe 

 Sound) through Washington and Oregon west of the Cascades, to 

 northeastern California (Sugar Hill and Cedarville) ; southern 

 Nevada (Pahrump Mountains and St. Thomas) ; southern Utah (Iron 



