THE CANYON WREN. . 319 
extending range into Upper Sonoran and Arid Transition zones of eastern 
Washington. 
Authorities.—C. mevicanus punctulatus, Snodgrass, Auk, Vol. XXI. Apr. 
TOOA, Pp. 232. J. 
Specimens.—P. 
TO Mr. Robert E. Snodgrass belongs the honor of first reporting this 
species as a bird of Washington. He encountered it in the Snake River 
Cafion at Almota in the summer of 1903, and mentions that it occurred also 
at Wawawai Ferry, a few miles up the river. Roswell H. Johnson also 
refers to it casually in the preface to his list of the birds of Cheney? as 
occurring “where conditions were favorable to the south and east.” 
It has long been supposed that the Cahon Wrens were confined to a much 
more southern range. Ridgway? assigns the northern limits of this species 
to Wyoming and Nevada. Its appearance in Washington, therefore, is 
matter of congratulation and may, perhaps, be taken as an instance of that 
northward trend of species which undoubtedly affects many of the Passerine 
forms, and none more notably than the Wrens. 
The Cafion Wren frequents much the same situations as the Rock Wren 
and has the same sprightly ways. In the southern part of its range it is said 
to be a familiar resident of towns, and nests as frequently in crannies and 
bird-boxes as does our House Wren (Troglodytes aedon parkmani). Its 
alarm note is a “peculiarly ringing dink,” and its song is said to excel, if 
possible, that of the House Wren. “What joyous notes! * * * His song 
comes tripping down the scale growing so fast it seems as if the songster 
could only stop by giving his odd little flourish back up the scale again at the 
end. The ordinary song has seven descending notes, but often,as if out of pure 
exuberance of happiness, the Wren begins with a run of grace notes, ending 
with the same little flourish. The rare character of the song is its rhapsody 
and the rich vibrant quality which has suggested the name of bugler for him— 
and a glorious little bugler he surely is’ (Mrs. Bailey). 
a. “The Birds of Cheney, Washington,’ The Condor, Vol VIII., Jan., 1906, p. 25 [No scientific 
name given]. 
b. “The Birds of N. and M. America,’”’ Vol. III., p. 650. 
