(34 SINGING BIRDS — OSCINES. 



Salpinctes obsoletus, Sat. 



THE ROCK WEEN. 



Trajimh/tes olisoldus, Say, in Long's Expod. II. 1823, 4. S. Fork of Platte. — Ncttall, 

 Miin. 1. 18.32, 435. — AuD., Orn. Biog. IV. 1838, 443 ; pi. 360. Ib. Birds Amcr. U. 1841, 

 113; pi. 116. — Newberry, Zool. P. R. Rep. VI. iv. 1857, 80. — Heermann, P. R. 

 Rep. X. vi. 41. — Salpinclcs obsoletus, Cabaxis, Wieg. Arch. I. 323. — Baird, V. R. 

 Rep. IX. Birds, 357. 



Sp. Char. Plumajre. very soft, and lax. Bill about as long as the head. Upper parts 

 brownish-gray, eaeh leather with a central line, and (e.xcept on the head) transverse bars 

 of dusky, and a small dull brownish- white spot at the end (seen also on the tips of the 

 secondaries). Rump, sides of the body, and posterior part of belly and under tail coverts 

 dull cinnamon, darker above. Rest of under parts dirty white ; feathers of throat and 

 breast with dusky central streaks. Lower tail coverts banded broadly with black. Inner 





tail feathers like the back ; the others with a broad black bar near the end ; the tips cin- 

 namon; the outer on eaeh side alternately banded with tliis color and black. A dull white 

 line above and behind the eye. Length, 6 inches ; extent, 9.00 ; wing, 3.00 ; tail, 2.40. 

 Iris brown ; bill black, yellow, or white below ; feet black. 



Hah. High central plains through the Rocky jNIountains to the Cascades of Columbia 

 River and southward. 



Tlii.s i.s an abuudaut species tlirougliout the dry, rocky, and barren districts 

 of the State, especially southward, where it comes to the coast ; but towards 

 the north they inhabit farther towards the interior, avoiding the wooded 

 region of the Coast IVIottntains, and even the warmer valleys, like that of 

 Santa Clara, reappearing towards the Sacramento A'alley, and north of this 

 State, again retreating eastward of the Cascade Eange. They are numerous 

 in summer throughoiit all the plains on both sides of the Eocky I\Iouutains, 

 and prolmbly do not migrate much to the south. 



Tlieir favorite resorts are the rocks and canons, among which their loud, 

 shrill cliirp of alarm is frequently almost the only sign of life. They are 



