548 KORTII AMERICAN BIRDS. 



barred with browniiih gray and dusky; beneath dull whitish, tinged on flanks with 

 pale cinnamon, the lower tail-eoverts barred, or transversely spotted, with black- 

 ish, and the chest usuallj' more or less speckled or streaked with dusky (some- 

 times immaculate). Young with top of head, hind-neck, and back plain rust^- 

 grayish, and the lower parts plain whitish anteriorly, plain pale cinnamon on flanks 

 and under tail-coverts. Kest usually in clefts or crevices among rocks, sometimes 

 in hollow stumps or about buildings. Eggs pure white, finely and sparselj- speckle<i, 

 chiefly on or round larger end, with chestnut-browu (sometimes nearly immacu- 

 late). 



a". Lighter and graj-er, with chest, etc., less distinctly- speckled ; wing and tail 

 longer, biU and tarsi shorter; length 5.12-6.35, wing 2.68-2.80 (2.77), tail 

 2.12-2.40 (2.27), bill from nostril .44-.54 (.49), tarsus .76-.80 (.79). middle too 

 .52-.60 (.56). Eggs .73 X -57. Hab. Arid regions of western United States, 

 east to the Great Plains, south over table-lands of Mexico and Guatemala to 

 Salvador 715. S. obsoletus (S.vy). Rock Wren. 



a'. Darker and browner, with chest, etc., more distinctly speckled ; wing and tail 



shorter, bill and tarsi longer; wing 2.55-2.75 (2.62), tail 2.00-2.30 (2.20), bill 



from nostril .55-.60 (.50), tarsus .80-.90 (.85), middle toe .50-.55 (.52). Eggs 



.75 X -59, usually (?) plain white. Hah. Guadalupe Island. Lower California. 



716. S. guadeloupensis Euxiw. Guadalupe Rock Wren. 



Genus CATHERPES Baiud. (Page 540, pi. CXXL, fig. 4.) 

 Specks. 



Common Ch.-\r.\cters. — Prevailing color brown, the anterior lower parts white, 

 or else decidedly paler than posterior portions, the latter more or less speckled with 

 white or dusky (sometimes both); tail (in C. me.vicamis^) clear cinnamon-rusty, 

 crossed by narrow, distinct, and rather distant bars of black. Young essentially 

 like adults, but usually without white specks on upper parts or posterior lower 

 parts, which are instead mottled, more or less, with duskj-, Kcst in crevices of 

 rocks, various odd nooks about buildings, and similar situations. Eggs 3-5, or more, 

 pure white, rather sparsely speckled, chiefly on larger end, with rcdtlish brown and 

 lilac-gray. 



a'. Smaller (exposed culmen less than 1.00, tarsus not more than .80); chin, throat, 

 and chest white, in marked (though not abrupt) contrast with rust}- of pos- 

 terior lower parts; upper parts brownish (varying from light cinnamon- 

 grayish to rusty brown and sepia), speckled witii while and duskj- (with 

 dusky alone in young) ; wings rusty brown, narrnwly barred with dusky. 

 6'. Larger and darker colored ; above dark rusty brown, varying to sepia, the 

 wings barred with rust)^ ; black bars on tail lir()ador. those on outer 

 feather about .08-.10 wide; length about G.00-G.50, wing 2.40-2.90 (2.72), 

 tail 2.30-2.45 (2.37), exposed culmen .70-.95 (.87), bill from nostril .55- 



' In tlic single known specimen of C. inmiclirosli L.VH ii. the tail is, unfjrtun;ilely, wanting. 



