THE ROCK WREN. 315 



of the cniwn feathers will quite win liiin (i\er. so that he will accept a 

 gently insistent finger in place of the twig which has been his support. 

 The unfaltering trust of childhood has subdued many a savage heart, but 

 when it is exemplified in a baby ^^'ren one feels the ultimate ap])eal to 

 tenderness. 



Mr. Brown, of Glacier, coming upon an old Russet-backed Thrush 

 nest at dusk, thrust an e.\]jlorator_\' finger o\'er its brim. Judge of his 

 surprise when out swarmed seven young Winter \\'rens. Mr. Brown feels 

 reasonably sure, however, that the birds were hatched elsewhere, and that 

 the}' were only roosting temporarih- in the larger nest, in \\e\v of its am])ler 

 accommodations. 



No. 121. 



ROCK WREN. 



A. O. U. Xo. 715. Salpinctes obsoletus (Say). 



Description. — Adults: Above brownish s^ray changing on rump to ciunamon- 

 brovvn, most of the surface speckled by arrow-shaped marks containing, or con- 

 tiguous to, rounded spots of whitish ; wing-cjuills color of back, barred with dusky 

 on outer webs ; middle pair of tail-feathers color of back barred with dusky : 

 remaining rectrices barred with dusky on outer webs only, each with broad sub- 

 terminal bar of blackish and tipped broadly with cinnamon-buff area varied by 

 dusk}- marbling; outermost pair broadly blackish- and cinnamon-barred on both 

 webs ; a superciliary stripe of whitish ; a broad post-ocular stripe of grayish 

 brown ; sides of head and underparts dull white shading into pale cinnamon or 

 vinaceous buff on flanks and under tail-coverts ; sides of head, throat and upi)cr 

 breast spotted, mottled or streaked obscurely with grayish brown or dusky ; under 

 tail-coverts barred or transversely spotted with dusky. Bill dark horn-color above, 

 paling below; feet and legs brownish dusky ; iris brown. Young birds are more or 

 less barred or vermiculated above, without white speckling, and are unmarked 

 below. Length: 5.50-6.00 ( 139. 7-152. 4) ; wing 2.76 (70) ; tail 2.09 (53 I ; bill .70 

 ( 17.7) ; tarsus .83 (21 ,). 



Recognition Marks. — Warbler size; variegated tail with broad buliy ti])s 

 distinctive ; rock-haunting habits. 



Nesting. — Xcst: in crannies of cliffs, of twigs, grasses, wool, hair and other 

 soft substances, ap])roached by runway of rock-chips or pebmes. Eyys: 5-7, white 

 or pinkish white, sprinkled somewhat sparingly with pale cinnamon, chiefly about 

 larger end. .\v. size .jt, x .56 (18.5 x 14.2). Season: May ist to June 20th; two 

 broods. 



General Range. — \\ estern I'nited States, northern and central Mexico, and 

 southern British CVilumljia, chiefly in hillv districts; eastward across (ireat Plains 

 to Kansas. Nebraska, etc. ; retires frrjm northern ])ortion of range in winter. 



Range in Washington. — Summer resident antl migrant in o])en country cast 



