TUOCtLODYTID.E — THE WREN'S. I53 



Troglodytes sedon, vai. parkmanni, Aud. 



FABKMAN'S WHEN ; WESTEBN WOOD WBEK. 



Troijhi!i/f,:i jxd-kmnniii, Aid. Oni. IJiog. V, 1839, 310. — lit. Syiiop.si.s, 1830, 76. — In. 

 Hinls Am. 11, 1841, 133, pi. c.v.\ii. — 15.viui>, liirds X. Am. 1808, 31)7 ; licv. 14n. ~ 

 Coni'i;u& SrcKLKY, 1'. K. 1!. Kcp. Xll, 11, 18i>0, li)l (lu'.st). — .Sci.atki!, Ciital. I8iil, 

 23, 110. l-K). — ('uDi'Kii, Oiii. ('ill. I, 1870, 71. Troijlodijics sijh-cslri.i, (l.VMiii;!,, I'l'. A. 

 N. Sc. Ill, 181(>, 113 (California, (juotv-s unoneously Aru. T. aineriaiiiKi). 



Had. Western and Middle I'rovinces of I'uiUMl StaU.',-:. East to the Missouri River. 

 Western .Xrizona. Coi'ks. 



Althou<,'li tlio differences between the ea.stem and western House Wrens, 

 as stated in the lUrds of North Anierica, are not very iippreciable, yet 

 a conipari.son of an extensive seiies shows that they can hardly be consid- 

 ered as identical. The j^'eneral color oi i)arkma)ini above is jialer and grayer, 

 and there is little or none of the rufous of the lower back and ruinp. The 

 bars on the npjjcr surface are rather more distinct. The under parts are 

 more alike, as, wiiile adoii sometimes has flanks and crissum .strongly tinged 

 with rufous, otlier specimens are as pale as in T. pnrkmmini. 



Perhaps the niost a])])reciable differences between tlie two are to l)e found 

 in the size and projiortions of wing and tail. The wing in parhnnnni is 

 (piite decidedly longer tlnm in advii, measuring, in males, 2.12 to 2.1;"), in 

 stead of 2.00 to 2.05. This is due not so much to a larger size as to a gi'eater 

 develoiimeut of the ]irimaries. The first ([uill is ecjual to or barely more 

 than half the second ni puiinuinni ; and the diiference lietween the longest 

 primary and the tenth amounts to ..■?2 of an inch, instead of al)out .20 in 

 mlon, where the first (piill is nearly haU' the length of the third, and much 

 more than half the lengtli of the sect 'd. 



ILviiirs. This western form, liardly distinguishable from the connuon 

 House Wren of the Eastern States, if recognized as a distinct sjiecies, 

 is its complete analogue in regard to habits, nest, eggs, etc. It was first 

 obtained liy Town.send on tlie ('oluml>ia l!iver, and described by Audulion in 

 liS.'ill. It ims since been oiiservcd in various parts of the country, from the 

 Mississip]ii N'alley to tlie racific Coast, and from Caiw St. Lucas to Oregon. 



J)r. Cooper, in iiis ISirds of Washington Territory, speaks of tliis Wren as 

 common about Tuget Sound, where it appeared to lie much less familiar than 

 our conuuuF. Wren, tliough its liabitsand .song seemed to lie very similar. It 

 there fretiuented chieHy the vicinity of woods and piles of logs, neitlier 

 .seeking nor dwelling in the vicinity of houses. It arrives there about the 

 20tii of A]iril. As observed alioiit Vancouver in IS.")."), its song ajipeared to 

 Dr. Cooper diH'erent from tliat of the T. tnlon. He found one of tiieir nests 

 built in a horse's skidl that hud been stuck u])on a fence. Dr. Suckley, who 

 ob.served tin'st> l)irds about Fort Steilacoom, describes their voice as harsh 

 and unmusical. 



