SANTA CRUZ WREN 199 



guishable from those of other races of the species. The measurements 

 of 40 eggs average 16.7 by 12.8 millimeters ; the eggs showing the four 

 extremes measure 18.9 by 14.3, 14.6 by 12.8, and 15.8 by 11.7 millimeters. 



THRYOMANES BEWICKIl NESOPHILUS Oberholser 



SANTA CRUZ WREN 



HABITS 



In naming this as a new subspecies from Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa 

 Islands, Dr. Oberholser (1898) says: "This new subspecies may be 

 distinguished from charienturus [now called correctus] by the darker, 

 more ruf escent coloration of the upper surface, sides and flanks ; the 

 tail also averages appreciably shorter. It is noticeably lighter and 

 rather more gi-ayish than spilurus, besides having a somewhat longer 

 culmen. From drymoecus it is without difficulty separable by the 

 noticeably darker and rather more sooty color of the flanks and upper 

 surface. The tail also averages slightly shorter. * * * The young 

 in first plumage are apparently not to be discriminated from those of 

 charienturus^ though they perhaps average more rufescent. They are 

 usually darker than the young of drymoecus.'''' 



In a later review of this group, Mr. Swarth (1916) says: 



The Santa Cruz Wren is apparently one of the most illy defined of any of the 

 described forms of Thryomanes bewicki. The available series affords satis- 

 factory material for comparison. * * * Judging from these specimens this 

 island form has become but slightly differentiated from the mainland race. 

 * * * It is perhaps noteworthy that the slight differences serving to distin- 

 guish nesophilus from charienturus [now called correctus] are steps in the direc- 

 tion of spilurus, the slightly more reddish dorsal coloration, darker flanks, and 

 shorter tail, being just the characteristics encountered in birds occupying the 

 intermediate coastal region between the ranges of charienturus and spilurus. The 

 mainland nearest to Santa Cruz Island forms part of this intermediate region. 



The only information I have on the nesting of this subspecies is 

 from the data on a set of six eggs in the Doe collection in Gainesville, 

 Fla. This was taken by M. C. Badger on Santa Cruz Island, March 

 31, 1935. It was from a nest of small twigs, grass, and plant down, 

 well concealed and sunken into the ground beneath a fallen willow 

 tree. 



The eggs in this set measure 17.5 by 13.0, 17.5 by 12.7, 17.3 by 13.0, 

 17.3 by 12.7, 16.8 by 13.0, and 16.8 by 12.7 millimeters. 



THRYOMANES BEWICKIl CATALINAE Grinnell 



CATALINA WREN 



HABITS 



The Bewick's wrens of Santa Catalina Island, off the coast of south- 

 ern California, were named by Dr. Joseph Grinnell (1910) and de- 

 sctibed as "closely similar in color and general size to T. b. charien- 



