WRENS, THRASHERS, ETC. 449 



family that I watched in southern California it was six weeks from 

 the time they began building before the young left the nest. 



72 lb. T. a. aztecus Baird. AZTEC WREN. 



Like parkmanii, but grayish brown. 



Distribution. Western United States except the Pacific coast, east to 

 the Mississippi Valley ; south to southern Mexico. 



Aztecus is the same jolly little songster as parkmanii, clambering 

 over your tent and balancing the twigs he carries to his nest, saying 

 and doing the same things at 9000 feet in the coniferous forest of the 

 mountains of New Mexico as theParkman at sea-level in the hot val- 

 leys of southern California. 



GENUS OLBIOKCHILTJS. 



722a. Olbiorchilus hiemalis pacificus (Baird). WESTERN 

 WINTER WREN. 



Tail less than three fourths as long 1 as wing 1 ; outstretched feet reaching 

 far beyond its end. Upper parts dark brown, brighter on rump and upper 

 tail coverts ; wings, tail, and often back and rump 

 narrowly barred with blackish ; superciliary stripe, 

 throat, and breast, tawny ; belly and under tail coverts 

 barred; flanks darker. Length: 3.60-4.25, wing- 1.80- 

 1.90, tail 1.20-1.85, exposed culmen .40-.45. 



Distribution. Breeds on Pacific coast from Sitka south to Monterey 

 County, California, and east to Idaho ; ranges to western Mexico in winter. 



Nest. In coniferous woods in crevices of dead logs or stumps, made of 

 moss and lined with feathers. Eggs : 5 to 7, white or creamy, finely but 

 sparingly spotted with reddish brown. 



Food. Largely worms and small white grubs found in the bark of trees. 



While the voluble house wrens are always coming to the front 

 singing with heads up and tails hanging, loudly publishing all 

 their affairs, the quiet little winter wrens, with heads peering down 

 and stubby tails cocked over their backs, are silently creeping over 

 the logs and investigating all the darkest cracks and crannies of the 

 fallen timber. In the redwood forests Mr. Bailey has found them 

 bobbing out from under old logs, diving into hollow stumps or brush 

 heaps, their somber color blending with the brown leaves, brown 

 bark, and brown wood. In the deeper shade of the darker nooks and 

 hollows they disappear entirely, droll Lilliputians making their homes 

 among the giant redwoods. 



GENUS CISTOTHOBUS. 



General Characters. Back streaked with black and white ; tail gradu- 

 ated for about half its length. 



KEY TO ADULTS. 



1. Bill as long as head. 



2. Bars on tail coverts indistinct or wanting. East of Rocky Mountains. 



palustris, p. 450. 

 2'. Bars on tail coverts distinct. 



