TROGLODYTID.E — THE WRENS. 139 



Catherpes mexicanus, vai conspersus, Ridgway. 



CANON WREN; WHITE-THROATED ROCK WREN. 



Troglodytes mexicanus, Hkeilmann, J. A. N. Sc. 2(1 ser. 11, 1853, 63. — Ib. P. R. R. Rep. 

 X, 1859, 41. — Cassin, Illust. Birds Cal. I, 1854, 173, pi. xxx. Catherpes m.exicanus, 

 Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 356 (in part) ; Rev. Ill (in part). — Cooper, Orn. Cal. I, 

 1870, 66. Catherpes mexicanus var. conspersus, Ridgway. 



Sp. Char. (No. 53,425 $, near Fort Churchill, Nevada, December 7, 1867; R. Ridg- 

 way). Above, brownish-ashy on the anterior, and bright cinnamon-rufous on the pos- 

 terior half, the two colors shading insensibly together. The anterior, or grayish portion 

 thickly sprinkled with numerous small circular dots of white, each preceded by a smaller 

 speck of dusky ; a few of these dots on the rump. Wings with obsolete, ragged, narrow, 

 isolated bars of dusky, these most sharply defined on the secondaries. Tail clear rufous, 

 crossed with about nine vei'y narrow, thread-like, somewhat zigzag bars of black, — these 

 about .02 wide on the middle, and .07 on the outer feather. Beneath, anterior third, pure 

 silky-white, shading insensibly into soft ochraceous on the breast, this soon darkening into 

 deep ferruginous, the color of all the posterior lower parts ; the whole of this ferruginous 

 surface, with very obsolete transverse spots of white, each preceded by a narrower dusky 

 one. Length, 5.75 ; extent of wings, 7.50 (fresh) ; wing, 2.48 ; tail, 2.13 ; culmen, .83 ; 

 tarsus, .56. Bill deep slate, paler, and with lilaceous tinge, at base of lower mandible ; 

 iris umber ; tarsi and toes black (fresh colors). 



Hab. Central region of North America, from boundary of United States northward. 

 Extends up Valley of Colorado. Western Nevada, resident; Ridgway. 



The above characters apply to all specimens of Catherpes from north of 

 Mexico, as substantiated by a sufficient series in the collection. It is a 

 remarkable fact that this northern race should be so much smaller than the 

 Mexican one, especially in view of the fact that it is a resident bird in even 

 the most northern parts of its ascertained habitat. 



Habits. The geographical distribution of this race of the White-throated 

 Wren, so far as known, is confined to the line of the United States and 

 ]\Iexican boundary, extending northward up the Valley of the Colorado, as 

 far as Western Nevada. Tlie corresponding Mexican race reaches some 

 distance southward, but has not yet been detected beyond the limits of 

 Mexico. The habits of both races, however, are quite similar, as far as 

 known. 



Dr. Heermann first met with this Wren in the spring of 1851, on the 

 Cosumnes Eiver. In the following year he procured tliree specimens on the 

 Calaveras Eiver. He describes it as an active, sprightly bird, having a loud 

 and pleasing song that may be heard a great distance, and which it repeats 

 at short intervals, ^^'hen found, it was occupied with searching for insects, 

 between and under the large boulders of rock that, in some portions of the 

 river, are thrown together in confused masses, as if by some terrific convul- 

 sion of nature. 



Dr. Kennerly also met with this species in similar localities among the 

 hills bordering upon the Big Sandy, where the rocks are also described 



