BIRDS — LIOTKICHIDAE — THEIOTHOEUS. 359 



Sub-Family TROGLODYTINAE. 



Tail feathers rather narrow ; the middle ones lees than one-sixth as wide as long. Tail more or less vaulted or concave 

 below ; usually considerably graduated. Tarsus longer than the middle toe, which exceeds the hinder ones ; the lateral toes 

 generally equal, and reaching the base of the middle claw. Hind toe much longer than the lateral. Size diminutive. 



The sub-divisions are as follows : 



Thriothoetjs. — Wings equal to or shorter than the tail, which is nearly even, the lateral 

 feathers only graduated. Bill nearly equal to the head, decurved. Toes not reaching to thfe end 

 of the tail. Color uniform brown on the back. 



CiSTOTHOEUS. — Wings longer than the tail, which is short, and all the feathers much 

 graduated. Toes reaching to or beyond the tip of the tail. Feet large ; hind claw at least 

 equal to the rest of the toe. Back black, streaked with white. 



Telrnatodytes. ~-^i[l nearly as long as the head. Hind claw longer than the rest of the toe. 



Cistothorus. — Bill much shorter than the head. Hind claw equal to the rest of the toe. 



Troglodytes. — Wings longer than the tail or nearly equal. Tail rounded ; the lateral 



feathers graduated. Hind claw shorter than the rest of the toe. Back brown, obsoletely 



waved with dusky. 



Troglodytes. — Wings about equal to the tail. Toes reaching to the tip of the tail. Bill 



nearly as long'as the head, compressed, decurved. 

 Anorthura. — Wings much longer than the very short tail. Bill shorter than the head, 

 slender, nearly straight. End of tarsus reaching to the tip of the tail. 



THRIOTHORUS, Vieillot. 



Thriothorus, Vieillot, Analyse, 1816. 



Thryothorus, Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. XXXIV, 1819, 55. 



Thryothwrus, Swains ok. Class. Birds, II, 1837, 319. 



Ch. — Bill about as long as the head ; nearly straight to near the tip, which is abruptly deeurVed, with an obsolete notch. 

 Gonys nearly stra,ight. Hind toe nearly equal to the middle ; the lateral toes equalj reaching to the base of the middle claw. 

 Tarsus longer than the middle toe. Wings about equal to the tail, which is arched, and nearly even ; the first or second 

 lateral feathers moderately graduated ; the feathers narrow ; the width of longest about one-tenth its length. 



This genus is apparently related to Campylorhynchus in almost every respect, the chief 

 difference being in the tail, which is rather shorter, being equal to the tail instead of less, and 

 the feathers much narrower, and more vaulted ; the width of the longest is about one-tenth the 

 length, instead of one-fifth or sixth. The bill is straighter to the tip,- which is more abruptly 

 decurved. 



In Thryothoms maculipectus the inner lateral toe is a little shorter than the outer ; the other 

 characters are much the same. 



I have associated in this division the T. bewicMi, which differs in longer tail, the lateral 

 feathers of which are more graduated. The other differences are not important. It is at any 

 rate more naturally placed here than in Telmdtodytes, where Oabanis has assigned it. 



The precise determination of the section of American wrens to which Vieillot' s name should 

 belong is a matter of much uncertainty. I have not Yieillot's Analyse at hand to know what 

 species he considers g,^ type, but Gray quotes as such, Thryothorus arundinaceus, Vieillot. In 

 the article on Thryothorus, in Nouv. Diet. XXXlV, 1819, 55, Vieillot says that when he 

 established the genus he knew of but one species, the " Thryothore des roseaux." The bird of 



