TKOGLODYTID.E — THE WKEXS. 139 



Catherpes mexicanus, var. conspersus, Ridgv. ay. 



CAllOir WBEH; WHITE-THBOATEO BOCK WSEN. 



Triyjlnfli/fcs hir.ricnnn.s, HKKit.MANN, J. A. N. Sc. 2«l ser. II, 1853, tWi. — In. P. R. R. R»'p. 

 X, l,sr)l», 41. — Cassin, lllust. Birds Tal. I, 18;>4, 173, I>1. xxx. Cathcr/M:s mcjcicauus, 

 Baii:i>, Binls N. Am. 18'i8, 356 (in part) ; Kev. Ill (in part). — CooFEU, Orii. Cal. I, 

 187o, Gt). CdfJitrjKs t.iMicamis var. couftjKrsus, Ridgway. 



Sp. Char. (Xo. 53,425 ^. m-ar Fort rimrchill, Xovada. December 7, 1807; R. Ridg- 

 way). Above, brownish-asby on tbe anterior, and bright cinnanion-rulbn.s on the pos- 

 terior half, the two colors shadinjj insensibly together. The anterior, or grayish portion 

 thickly sprinklfd with nnnierous .s-mall (.irenlar dots of white, each preceded by a smaller 

 speck of du.'^ky ; a few of these dots on the rump. Wings with obsolete, ragged, narrow, 

 isolated bars of dusky, these most sharply d('fine<l on the secondaries. Tail clear rufous, 

 crosscMl with about nine very narrow, thread-like, somewhat zigzag bars of black, — these 

 about .02 wide on the middle, and .07 on the outer feather. Beneath, anterior third, pure 

 silky-wliite, shading itisensihly into soft oehraceous on the breast, this soon darkening into 

 deep ferruginous, the ctjlor of all the posterior lower j)arts; the whole of this ferruginous 

 surface, with very obsolete transverse spots of white, each preceded by a narrower dusky 

 one. Length, 5.75 ; extent of wings, 7.50 (fresh); wing, 2.48; tail, 2.1.3; culmen, .83 ; 

 tarsus, .50, Bill deep slate, paler, and with lilaceou* tinge, at base of lower mandible; 

 iris umber ; tarsi and toes black (fresh colors), 



Hab. Central region of X^orth America, fiom boundary of United States northward. 

 Extends up Valley of Colorado. Western Xevada, resident ; Ridgway. 



The above characters apply to all specimens of Catherpes from north of 

 Mexico, as substantiat »d by a sutticient series in the collection. It is a 

 reniarknl le fact that this northern race should be so raucli smaller tlian the 

 Mexican one, especially in view of the fact that it is a resident bird in even 

 the most northern parts of its ascertained habitat. 



Habits. The geographical distribution of this race of the White-throated 

 Wren, so far as known, is confined to the line of the United States and 

 Mexican boundarv, extending northward up the Valley of the Colorado, as 

 far as Western Nevada. The corresponding Mexican race reaches some 

 (hstance southward, but has not yet been detected beyond the limits of 

 Mexico. The habits of both races, however, are quite similar, as far as 

 known. 



Dr. Heermann firsc met with this Wren in the spring of IvSol, o". the 

 Cosumnes Kiver. In the fon(>v.ing year lie procured three specimens on the 

 Calaveras Kiver. He descriljes it as an active, sprightly bird, having a loud 

 and pleasing song that may be heard a great distance, and which it repeats 

 at short intervals. Wlien found, it was occupied with searching for insects, 

 between and under the large boulders of rock that, in some portions of the 

 river, are thrown together in coi. fused masses, as if by some terrific convul- 

 sion of nature. 



Dr. Kennerly also met with this species in similar localities among the 

 hills bordering upon the Bi; Sandy, where the rocks are also described 



