158 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



any specimens of T. h>/nna/i% from whicli it also clillers in longer, strai«rliter, 

 and niore subulate bill (the gonys slightly ascemling). The type s]...dnien' 

 from St. (leorge'.s Island M-as innnature, and we embrace the ojJiiortunity of 

 giving the de.scription of an adult sent down with several otliers in tlie 

 autumn of I.S71 by Mr. Dall from Unalasclika. 



This form bears th^ same relation to T. /i,/n>ia/i.^ that M,'lo^pizn nna- 

 UmM'cnxU does to M. mclodia ; T. iHinfi,n,>^, like M. riifina, being an inter- 

 mediate form. 



Habits. Of this new variety, tlic Alaska Wren, but little is as yet 

 known as to its i)ersonal hi.story. Air. Dall states that it is found in abun- 

 dance all the year round on St. George's Island, and that it breeds in Mav, 

 building a nest .)f moss in the crevices of the rocks, and, according to the 

 Aleuts, lays six eggs. Mr. Dall subse<iuently found it quite common at 

 Unalaschka in the summer of l,S71. 



(Jknts CISTOTHORUS, Cahan. 



CiMhnnis, Caham.s, M„s. Ilcin. ^^M, \s:,\, "7. (Tvi.o, Tr,„i!vil„>.s Mhn-is.) 

 r,'hm,Miit,-s, Caiianls, J[„,s. H..in. ISnO, :s-.], 78. (Tjih', t'aih:., i>ahi..lns.) 

 Thniutlwrns, Vikii.m.t, Aiiiilyse, 1810, iRvor.liiiK to (!. K. Cray. 



<!h:x. Ciiau. Rill alxjut as loiip- as the head oi' niudi 

 slioitiT. iiuicli coiniiros.xcd, not notclicd, ^'iitly ilcciiivcd 

 lioiii lli( middle; the jronys sliujilly concave iii- striiiirlit. 

 Tecs rciicjiin'r to the end of the tail. Tamis hin,irer than 

 the middle toe. Hind toe lonj,'cr than the lateral, shorter 

 than the mid<lle. Lateral toes alioiit e(|nal. Hind toe 

 al S lonjrer than or eqnal to its disrit. Win^s rather lonirer 

 than the t,.il. all tlie fcatliors of which are nmch gradn- 

 ateil : the lateral only two thirds the middle. The 

 (eathers narrow. Jiack hlack, conspicnonsly streaked 

 with white. 



Cistolhnriis iKihtstrix. 



Of this genus there are two sections, (Jisfo/lmrxs ]iroper aiul Tilmatoilnl,^, 

 the diagnoses of wliich liave alreiuly been given. The two Xorlii Ameriiiaii 

 s])ecies ])resent tlie feature, uni(iue among our Wrens, of white streaks on 

 the back. 



A. CistothoruB. Rill liairienirili ofhca.:. No white snporciliary streak. Itcad 



and rnm|, and Lack streaked with white. Tail dusky, harred with hrowii. (\ MhiriK. 



B. Telmatodytes. Rill h.nu-th of heail. A white superciliary .strii.e. itack 



alune streaked wiih white. Tail-feathers black, barred with whitish . C. pahistrh. 



