THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 297 



and edges of woodlands. We see him more frequently running along 

 ahead or skulking through the bushes, easily recognized by his long 

 tail and bright rufous coloration. Again, he is a familiar sight at 

 riirly morning or evening, on the top of some tree with tail drooping 

 and head thrown back, pouring out a song of which any bird might 

 well be proud and which alone would confirm his relation to the Mock- 

 ingbird. A grand medley of notes and whistles, each one exactly 

 duplicated or sung in pairs. 



The Thrasher, from his rusty color and spotted breast, is frequently 

 confused with the Thrushes and not infrequently called Brown 

 Thrush. His relationship, while partly with the Thrushes, is also 

 quite as much with the Wrens, so that he is to some extent a con- 

 necting link. 



In a few .instances Thrashers have been seen in winter. One was 

 seen at Englewood, January 31st, 1885, by Mr. Chapman 1 and an- 

 other upon another occasion, 2 while Mr. W. L. Baily saw several at 

 Holly Beach in the winter of 1897-8, 3 one February 22d, 1S94, 4 and 

 two December 27th, 1903. 5 



Family TROGLODYTID^E. 



THE WRENS. 



These little birds are among our most famous insect destroyers and 

 deserve the most careful protection. They are also songsters of the 

 highest ability. 



a. Longitudinal white streaks on the back. 



6. Bill, .40. SHORT-BILLED MARSH WREN, p. 300 



66. Bill. .50-60. LONG-BILLED MARSH WREN, p. 301 



aa. No longitudinal white streaks on the back. 



6. A conspicuous stripe over the eye and along the side of the crown. 



c. Wing, 2.05-2.20, dark brown above. BEWICK'S WREX. p. 298 



cc. Wing, 2.20-2.60, bright rusty above. CAROLINA WREN. p. 298 



66. No stripe over the eye. 



c. Tail less than 1.50. WINTER WREN, p. 300 



oc. Tail over 1.75. HOUSE WREN, p. 299 



'Auk, 1889, p. 305. 



2 Foster, Abst. Linn. Soc., N. Y., V., p. 3. 

 8 Abst. Proc. D. V. O. C., III., p. 3. 

 *Abst. Proc. D. V. O. C., II., p. 12. 

 8 Bird Lore, February, 1904. 



