160 SYNONYMY AND DESCRIPTION OF ROCK "WREN 



Salplnctes ObSOletns, Cah. Arch. f. Naturg. 1847, Bd. i. 333 (type).— Bp. CA. i. 1850, 224.— 

 £d. BNA. 1858, 357.— Bd. U. S. Max. B. Surv. ii pt. ii. 1859, Birds, IZ,— Henry, Pr. 

 Phila. Acad. 1859, 107 (New Mexico).— Sci. PZS. 1859, 371 (Oaxac«).— Xiraf. Pr. Phila. 

 Acad. 1859, 191 (California).— S. ^S. Ibis, 1860, 30 (Vera Paz).— SA Ives's Exped. pt. v. 

 1861, 6 (Colorado Riv6r.)—Hoyrf. Tr. Am. Pliilos. Soo. xii. 1862, 463.— Bd. Rev. AB. i. 

 1864, IW.—Ooues, Ibis, 1865, 164 (Arizona).— OoKes, Pr. Pliila. Acad. 1866, 77 (Arizona).— 

 Caues, Pr. Phila. Acad. 1868, 83 (Arizona).— Bii!cA.Pr. Phila. Acad. 1868, 149 (Texas).— 

 Brown., Ibis, 1868, 431 (yancouver).— Ooop. Am. Nat. ill. 1869, 73, 183, 397 (Upper Mis- 

 m\iri).—Ooop. B. Gal. i. 1870, 64, fig.- Coop. Pr. Cal. Acad. 1870, 75 (Colorado River).— 

 Coues, Key, 1872, So.— Allen, Ball. MCZ. iii. 1872, Hi.— Hold. Pr. Bost. 8oc. xv. 1872, 



195 (Black Hills).— ilferr. U. S. (Jeol. Surv. Terr, for 1872, 1873, 673 Tr'ippe, Pr. Bost. 



Soc. XV. 1873, 236 (Decatar County, Iowa).— Kzd^. Bull. Ess. Inst. v. 1873, 180 (Colo- 

 rado).— retype, Am. Nat. vii. 1873, 566 (the mme).— Allen, Am. Nat. vii. 1873, 363.— 

 Ridg. Am. Nat. vii. 1873, W5.— Allen, Pr.Boat. Soc. xvii. 1874, 50 (Yellowstone River).— 

 Coues, BNW. 1874, 27, 230.— Bd. Br. SrRy. NAB. i. 1374, 135, figs. pi. 8, f. Z.—Yarr. 4" 

 Hensh. Rf>p. Orn. Specs. 1874, B.—Hensh. Rep. Orn. Specs. 1874, 41, \00.— Nelson,, Pr. 

 Bost. Soc. xvii. 1875, 353 (Nevada).— Hrasi. Zool. Expl. W. 100 Merid. 1876, 179. 



Balplnctus obsoletns, Stev. U. S. (Jeol. Sarv. Terr, for 1870, 1871, 464. 



Salplnctes obSOletUS, Merr. v. S. fleol. Sarv. Terr, for 1872, 1873, 713. 



Tbrjothorus latifasciatus, " Licht. PreisVerz. 1831, no. 82 ? " 



Rockf MouDtain Wren, Bock Wren, Authors. 



Hab. — Western United States and Mexico. South to Guatemala. 



Gh. sp. — S 9 FusGO-griseus, nigro et albido punctatus, obsolete 

 fusco-undulatus, urnpygio rufescente; subtus albidus posticS rufes- 

 cens, guld obsolete fusco-striata ; rectricibus mediis dorso concolori- 

 bus, fusco striatis, lateralibus fuhis, nigro -fasciatis. 



$ 5 , adult : Upper parts pale brownisli-gray, minutely dotted everywhere 

 with blackish and whitish points together, and usually showing obsolete 

 wavy bars of dusky. Rump cinnamon-brown ; a whitish superciliary line ; 

 beneath, soiled white, shading behind into pale cinnamon, the throat and 

 breast obsoletely streaked, and the under tail-coverts barred, with dusky. 

 Quills of the wings rather darker than the back, with similar markings on 

 the outer webs. Middle tail-feathers like the back, with many dark bars of 

 equal width with the lighter ones; lateral tail-feathers similarly marked on 

 the outer webs, plain on the inner webs, with a broad subterminal black 

 bar on both webs and cinnaqion-^rown tips, the latter usually marbled with 

 dusky ; outer feather with several blackish and cinnamon bars on both 

 webs. Bill and feet dark horn color, the former paler at base below. 

 Length, 5i-6: wing, 2?-2i | tail, 2J-2f; bill, J-f; tarsus, i-|. 



Most of the markings of this species are blended and diffuse. The shade 

 of the upper parts is quite variable, from dull grayish to a more plumbeous 

 shade, often with a faint pinkish tinge. Specimens in worn and faded plum- 

 age may altogether fail to show the peculiar dotting with black and whitish 

 usually seen ; but, in these, the crosswise dusky undulation, as well as the 

 streaks on the breast, are commonly more distinct than in fresher-feathered 

 examples. The rufous tinge of the under parts is very variable in shade ; 

 that of the rump, however, is always well marked. 



STATEMENTS to the effect that the Eock Wren does not 

 occur on the Pacific side have no foundation in fact. In 



