TRoaLUDYTrD-K — THE WHENS. i;-}- 



Tli(! nest i.s lioind^ciicdiis in wtnicluro, compuseil eiitiroly of thin strips of 

 rcdtlisli-coloii.'il Imik iiiul lino roots, intorsporsetl with a few snuill hits of 

 wool. It is distorted l)y ])iickinji,-, so that nieasuronients of it woukl he 

 vahieless; its dimensions in its jiressed condition are: diameter, ."i iuclies ; 

 depth, 2 inelies. The cavity is shaUow and saucer-shaped. 



From ^Ir. llidgway we k'arn that from the summit of the Sierra Nevada 

 eastward, as far as tin; i)arty explored, he found this Wren universally tlis- 

 triltuted. In (lie mithlle ]irovinces of the Ihx^ky Mountains it was the most 

 ahundant species of (he family, l)ut was not so abundant in the Wahsatdi 

 Mountains. Tiie general resort of this s])ecies was among rocky or stony 

 inll-slop(!S, though it was not confined t<j sucii localities. At Carsou City 

 he found it iiarticularly i)artial to the rubhish 1 the decayhig ]iine-logs. At 

 Virginia ("ity it was the only Wren seen frequenting the old Ituildings and 

 abandoned niiuing-shaits, in its predilection for sucdi ])laces reminding him 

 very nuu'ii of the Tliri/of/i<iri(ii /ndociriiniiis, which in its manners it very 

 strongly resembles. 



Mr. Uidgway noticed a wonderful variety in the notes of this Wren. Its 

 peculiarly guttural ttnrc. was rei)eateilly heard, and its song in spring had 

 a sligiit resend)lauce in modulation to that of the Carolina Wren, th(ni"h 

 altogether lacking the jxiwer aud richness so characteristic of the superb song 

 of tliat bird. FriMjuently its .song was changed into a prolonged monotonous 

 trill, siiuilar to the trenndous spring-call of tiie Jiniai linniuilia. 



This species is not so wary as the Cat/nrjicH viciiatniiti. Upon suddenly 

 starting up an individual of tins kind, lie would Hy to the nearest l)ouhler, 

 turu with his breast towards tiie ])arty, swing oddly from side to side, all the 

 while ludicrously bowing and scolding the intruder with his i)eeuliar shar}) 

 expressions of displeasure. 



Dr. Cooper, in iiis pa]ier on tiie Fauna of tiie Territory of ^rontana, states 

 that he observed this bird occasionally through the main Itocivy Mountain 

 chain to near the crossing of tlie liitterroot, but it was less tHnnmon than 

 among the cliffs and rocks of the itarren plain along their eastern slope. 

 Tiiough he did not find it in tlie western part of Washington Territory, he 

 has no doul)t that it fre()iients ])arts of the rocky canons of tlie Columbia 

 Plain. A nest with nine eggs was found in a log-cabin below Fort lienton. 



Genus CATHERPES, hum.. 



Cdtherpifi, ll.uiiii, Iliids X. .\in. I >.-.j5, :i.-)7. (T\|h', Tlirmtlfints m<:ri,;nuis, Sw.^ 



Okn. Ciiau. Hill Idiijrcr lliiiii till' hciiil, ,<liMnl(r; all the (nitliiies iieiiily strtiijriil to lli(> 

 tip, then gontly (lociiivi'd, ^^uwsx Icasl so ; nostiils liiiciir; larsiis .slioit, alMnit, e(|iiiil to tins 

 middle toe, which reaches to llie iiiiddl.' of liie iiiiildic claw. OiitiT toe consideialily 

 Icilifrer than the inner, leacliiiitr heyond the liase of the middle claw. Win^js a little lonjjor 

 than the tail; the e.xiiosed portion of the liisl primary aliunl half that of the fourth and 

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