BIKDS — LIOTRICHIDAE — SALPINCTE8 0BS0LETU8. 



357 



same shade ; the tail rather lighter ; the latter nearly similar on both sides, the bars showing 

 with equal distinctness. The dark spots on the feathers are just anterior to the light ones ; 

 sometimes they follow as well as i)recede the white ones. The reddish outer surface of the 

 wings is about the shade of the middk' of the back. There are no transverse dusky bars across 

 the quills, the outer webs only showing an alternation of dusky and reddish spots. 



The wing is rather short ; the first and second quills are graduated, the latter about equal to 

 the secondaries ; the third is but little shorter than the fourth, fifth, sixth, all nearly equal. 

 The tail feathers are very broad (half an inch,) the tail plane, and moderately graduated (on the 

 sides only ;) the lateral feathers about .20 of an inch less than the longest. 



Different specimens vary a little in the width of tlic black bars of the tail feathers ; those on 

 the inner feathers are usually narrower than on the outer, where thoy are about .05 of an inch 

 broad. 



A specimen, 3968, probably a female, is smaller, with the bill appreciably shorter. 



Lint of specimens. 



SALPINCTES, Cab an is. 



Salpinctts, Cabanis, Wiegmnnn'e Archiv, 1847, i, 323. 



Ch. — Bill as long as the head ; all the outlines nearly straight to the tip, then decurved ; nostrils oval. Feet weak ; tarsi 

 decidedly longer than the middle toe ; outer lateral toe much longer, reaching to the base of the middle claw, and equal to the 

 hinder. Wings about one-fifth longer than the tail ; the exposed portion of the first primary about half that of the second, and 

 two-fifths that of the fourth and fifth. Tail feathers very broad, plane, nearly even or slightly rounded ; the lateral moderately 

 graduated. 



Of this genus but one species is hitherto known in the United States, the rock wren of the 

 earlier ornithologists. 



SALPINCTES OBSOLETUS, Cab. 



Rock Wren. 



Troglodytes obsoktus, Sat, in Long's Exped. II, 1823, 4. S. Fork of Platte.— Ndttall, Man. I, 1832, 435.— Apd. 



Synopsis, 1839, 73.— Ib. Orn. Biog. IV, 1838, 443 ; pi. 3G0.— In. Birds Am. II, 1841, 113 ; pi. 



116.— Newberry, Zool. P. R. R. Rep. VI, iv, 1857, 80. 

 Myotlura obsoUla, Bonap. Am. Orn. I, 1825, G ; pi. i, f. 2. 

 Thryothorua obsoktus, Bonap. List, 1838.— Ib. Rev. Zool. II, 1839, 98. 



Salpindcs obsoltlus, Cabaxis, Wiegmann's Archiv, 1847, i, 323, (type obsoktus.) — Bonap. Consp. 1850, 224. 

 ?" Thryolkorus latifasciatus, Licht. Preis Vcrzeichniss." — Eonap. 



Sp. Ch. — Plumage very soft and lax. Bill about as long as the head. Upper parts brownish gray, each feather with a 

 central line and (except 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 



