WHITE-THROATED WREN 277 



wool, with a few weed stems and strips of inner bark; and it is 

 profusely lined with soft plant down and a little wool. In its pres- 

 ent condition it measures about 4 by 41/2 inches in outside and 2 by 

 214 inches in inside diameter; it is about 1% inches high and is 

 cupped to a depth of 1 inch. 



Eggs. — The eggs in the above set are ovate and slightly glossy. 

 Their ground color is pure white and they are sparingly sprinkled with 

 very small spots or fine dots of light reddish brown, more thickly dis- 

 tributed near the larger ends. They measure 19.1 by 14.4, 19.3 by 14.1, 

 19.0 by 14.3, and 18.5 by 14.2 millimeters. 



Plumages.— Ridgwa,j (1904) says that the young of the Mexican 

 race are "similar to adults, but upper parts more coarsely vermicu- 

 lated with dusky and with few if any white specks or dots; chest- 

 nut of abdomen, etc., duller, immaculate, or with very indistinct 

 narrow dusky bars, mostly on flanks." 



Voice. — The following attractive tribute to the song of the canyon 

 wren by Dr. William Beebe (1905) also refers to the Mexican sub- 

 species : 



The beautiful little wren-sprites of the bari-anca were the first to waken and 

 sing, and we hardly recognized in them the Mexican Canyon Wrens of tlie 

 house tops of Guadalajara. Here they were in their native haunts, and their 

 marvellous hymn of sweetness rang out frequently in the early morning, re- 

 echoing among the rocky cliffs. We caught the real inspiration of the wild 

 joyous strain, which was so obscured and fitted so ill with the environment 

 of the dusty city. It is a silvery dropping song of eight or ten clear sweet 

 notes, becoming more i>laintive as they descend, and ending in several low, 

 ascending trills. The silvery quality is of marvellous depth and purity, and 

 although at times the birds sang with startling loudness from the very ridge- 

 pole of the tent, there was not a trace of harshness or aught save liquid clear- 

 ness. It seemed the very essence of the freshness of dawn in the cool bottom 

 of the canyon. The little singer was not easily detected in the gray light, 

 but at last his tremulous white throat was seen high overhead at tlie entrance 

 of some dripping, mossy crevice in the rocks, his tiny body and wings of dark 

 chocolate hue merging into the background. 



As the sunlight traveled slowly downward toward us, the notes flowed more 

 slowly from his throat, until, with the increasing warmth, only a few sleepy 

 tones were heard — like the last efforts of the dying katydids at the time of the 

 first frost. But the wren himself was far from sleepy. The heat had simply 

 thawed the frozen music from his heart and he now began the serious work of 

 the day. * * • 



Of all the birds of the barrancas these wrens perhaps won our deepest affection ; 

 so tiny were they, and yet each morning filling the whole great gorge with their 

 sweetness. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — ^Western United States and Mexico, nonmigratory except 

 for a slight altitudinal movement. 



The canyon wren ranges north to central southern British Columbia 



758066—48 19 



