WINTER WREN. 649 



ivith dusky. Under portion of the tail, similar to the upper but a little paler. Under win<i coverts, whitish, 

 Iiarred with dusky. Lower surface oi' wing, glaucous. Young, similar to the adult, but with a more rufous 



suffusion beneath and with the feathers of the throat and breast tipped with 

 dusky. The wing coverts are also more spotted. Nestling plumage, 

 darker throughout than in the )'oung, the throat being as dark as the flanks. 

 There are no spots on the sides of the neck. The bars beneath are not as 

 consi)icuous and the feathers of the throat and breast show lighter centers. 

 The young birds from which I have taken the above descriptions were 

 kindly loaned mc by Mr. Brewster and Mr. Harold Ilerrick. Those in the 

 nestling plumage were taken in jN'ew Hampshire and at Grand Manan. 

 Fig. 1U7. Head of 

 adult Winter Wren. . OBSERVATIONS. 



Specimens vary somewhat in the amount of black on the lower portions 

 of the body as well as in the shading above, although they are more uniform in this respect. Differs from 

 T. aedon as described under that species. It cannot be confounded with the Marsh Wrens, for they are 

 streaked with white on the back. Distributed during summer throughout the more northern sections of 

 Eastern United States and northward : winters from New England to the Southern States, but is rare in 

 Florida. 



DIMENSIONS. 

 Average measurements of seven specimens from New England. Length, 4.10; stretch, 0.04; wing, 

 1.72 ; tail, L24 ; bill, .40 ; tarsus, .06. Longest specimen, 4.2.5 ; greatest extent of wings,C.30 ; longest wing, 

 2.00 ; tail, L32 ; bill, .48 ; tarsus, .75. Shortest specimen, 3.75; smallest extent of wings, 5.50; shortest 

 wing, 1.70 ; bill, .o.") ; tarsus, .65. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



The following descriptions were kindly forwarded to me by Mr. Ridgway. That of the nest was made 

 from a specimen now in the Smithsonian collection, which was taken in Maine by Mr. W. F. Hall. 



Nests. A compact mass of green mo.-;s. strengthened by a few slender twigs of coniferous trees. It is 

 in the form of a hollow ball with the cavity deep and the entrance narrow. Dimensions ; 5 inches in length 

 by 3.50 in diameter. Eggs, five in number ( these described were taken at Fort Umpqua, Oregon, by Mr. 

 E. P. Vallum ), oval in form, pure white in color with a circle of thickly sprinkled reddish brown dots around 

 the larger end. Dimensions, .68 dy .48. 



HABITS. 

 The Winter Wrens find their summer lionies in the thick, evergreen woods of North- 

 ern New Engliind; here they frequent the masses of fallen trees, that are piled in confused 

 heaps by the tornadoes, which occasionally visit these vast forests. The birds are abun- 

 dant in such situations, but if it were not for the peculiarly' sweet warbling song of the 

 male.s, which are frequently heard, one would be inclined to call them rare. All wrens 

 are endowed with the foculty of concealing themselves, but in the Winter Wrens this 

 instinct is developed to a remarkable degree ; and even wliile they are singing remain 

 liidden. I have stood within a few yards of their place of abode and endea^'ored to dis- 

 cover the invisible bird which was constantl}' repeating his delightful melody ; but after 

 the closest scrutiny was obliged to give up the search as unsuccessful. When approached 

 too nearly these wrens glide through the intricate passages of their retreat like mice and 

 it requires considerable exertion to drive them from a particular pile ; when forced to 

 leave they use every available means to escape unseen. I have seen one enter the knot 

 hole of a hollow log, when closely pursued, and emerge at the open end which was in a 



