THE WESTERN HOUSE WREN. 309 
Audubon, Orn. Biog. V. 1839, 310 (Columbia River). Troglodytes parkmanni, 
Aud., Baird, Rep. Pac. R. R. Surv. XII. pt. II. 1858, p. 368. (T.) C&S. D*. Ra. 
Dose) Wk. J.B. EH. 
Specimens.—U. of W. Proy. P. B. 
SINCE our country is pretty well supplied with Wrens, and those too 
which are content with our climate the year around, this bustling down-Easter, 
arriving at what he considers the proper season, does not figure so largely in 
local bird society as across 
the Rockies. Altho original- 
ly described by Audubon 
from material secured by 
Townsend, at Vancouver, in 
the Thirties, parkmanii gives 
evidence of being a new- 
comer, comparatively speak- 
ing. In the first place, the 
late arrival, April 25th at 
Puget Sound points, marks 
the species in which the tra- 
dition of a hard climate is 
still strong. And, in the 
second place, the slightly 
paler plumage acquired while 
crossing the desert has not 
yet been iost, altho it is very 
certain that it could not long 
withstand consecutive cen- 
turies of residence in our 
humid climate. It is not 
surprising, therefore, that 
the House Wren is not 
abundant nor well distribut- 
ed in western Washington. 
On the East-side it is neither 
common nor rare, being 
found about long-established 
NOT QUITE SO BUSY AS APPEARS, HOWEVER. THE PICTURE IS A 
ranches and wherever the COMPOSITE AND PRESENTS THE SAME BIRD TWICE. 
presence of a little timber 
affords the variety of cover which is essential to its happiness. 
Once upon the scene, however, a little House Wren goes a great ways. 
He is bursting with energy, and music escapes from his busy mandibles like 
steam from a safety valve. The first task is to renovate last year’s quarters, 
Taken in Oregon. Photo by W. L. Finley. 
A VERY BUSY WREN. 
