148 NoRTir AMKinc AN niiipa 



a bird <•!' this species. Xear San Dieji^n, in Ajnil, 18r»2, lie discovered one 

 of its nests built in a low l»usli, only three feet from the ground. It Wiis 

 quite open above, formed of twigs, grass, etc., and ccnitained live eggs just 

 ready to hatch, described as white with brown specks near the larger end. 



Messi-s. Xuttall and Townsend o])served these l)irds in the marshy meadows 

 of the Wahlamet, accompanied l>y their young, as early as May. They seemed 

 to have all the habits of Marsh Wrens. Drs. (lamljel and Heermann, who 

 observed them in California, describe them as keeping in h)w bushes and 

 piles of brush, as well as about old dead trees and logs, over and around 

 wiiich ihey were flitting with the greatest activity, uttering, when aj>proached, 

 the usual grating scold of the Wrens. 



Ill Washington Territory 1 )r. ('o«)i>er states that this and the Winter Wren 

 are among the few birds that enliven tlie long rainy seas(»n with their .songs, 

 which were as constantly heard in the dullest weather as in the sunny spring. 

 The young broods make their first a]»[)earance there in June. Dr. Suckley 

 found this species very abundant at I'uget Sound, where it is a constant 

 resident throughout the vear. On sunnv davs in Januarv and in February 

 it was found among low thickets in com])any with the smaller species. At 

 this season they were very tame, allowing a person to ai»i)roach them without 

 apparent fear. He s])eaks of the voice of the male as being harsh and loud 

 during the breeding-season, and not unlike that of the common House Wren. 



Genus TROGLODYTES, Vieill. 



Tro(jlo(hiteSt Vieillot, Ois. Am. f>tpt. II, li>07, .'j2. CryiK', Tnifffntfiffes (rdou.) 



Tlie characters of this genus are sufficiently indicated in the synopsis on 

 ])age lol. They c»)me very close to tho.se of T/in/of/tonts, the nostrils, es- 

 j»ecially, being linear and overhung by a .scale. In this respect both differ 

 from Tltrifophihiii of Middle America. The bill is .shorter or not longer than 

 the head ; straight, slender, and without notch. The tail is grjiduated, and 

 shorter than tho much rounded wings, the feaJiers narrow. The light super- 

 ciliary line of llu'jiothurnii is almost entirely wanting. 



Species and Varieties. 



n. Trnijlodjifes. 

 Tail and wiiiir.^ about oqual. 



T. aedon. Beneath irrayisli-wliito. riissmn and (ianks tlLstinotly liarrod. 



Winir-covcrts spotted with whidsh. Dark l)ars »tl' tail ahoiit hall" the width 



of their inter!«[>a(res. 



Fir.^t primary nearly half the l;)nirP<t. Color ahuve dark-brown, rufous 



towards tail. Iloh. Ea.stern Province f'nitod States . . . xiw. (f.don. 



Wing .similar. Above paler brown. Hah. Eastein Mexii-o. froiu Ilio 



Grande southward ........ \:w. (t zt^'cns. 



First primary half the second. Above paler i>rown. Ilnh. ^fiddle 



and Western Province United States . . . . mw. do rkiu o v n i . 



