FAMILY TROGLODYTID.E 



incorrectly placed in the antbird family^ but is 

 a true song bird. 



54. Family TROGLODYTID^) 

 The Wrens 



The wrens are a large and widely distrib- 

 uted family of insectivorous birds especially 

 well represented in tropical America. Though 

 allied to the mocking birds and thrashers, 

 they are with some exceptions of rather small 

 (sometimes very small) size, with a rather 

 slender, often somewhat curved bill and more 

 or less barred or streaked plumage in which 

 browns of various shades, buff, and gray 

 prevail. They are easily recognized by their 

 stout, compact body and by the tail, which 

 is generally short .and often held tilted 

 nearly upright, and by their nervous, excit- 

 able disposition. They frequent chiefly low 

 thickets and shrubbery, and have a variety of 

 scolding calls as well as a song that, is loud 

 for such small birds, usually cheerful, and 

 very beautiful in some species. 



Key to the Wrens 



a. Large, length about 181 mm. (7.10 in.); top of head 



and hindneck white; tail very long 



Heleodytes albobrunneus 



aa. Smaller, length not over 145 mm. (5.70 in.) ; tail short 

 or of medium length. 



b. Tail short. 



c. Sides of the head, throat and chest bright chest- 

 nut; upper and remaining under parts dark 



brown, the breast tinged with gray 



Leucolepis lawrencei 



355 



