Birds of Indiana. 1131 



was insects and their allies, and only 2 per cent, was vegetable (Year 

 Book U. S. Dept. of Agr., 1895, pp. 4.16-418), It pays to put up 

 boxes and other nesting sites for these and other friendly birds. They 

 axe thus encouraged to build about homes and gardens and in orchards, 

 where their usefulness is greatly increased. They leave in September, 

 but occasionally linger into October. In 1894 the last one was ob- 

 served at Plymouth, Mich., September 19; at Hillsdale, Mich., Sep- 

 tember 26; Waxren County, Ind., September 11, 1897. In 1886 they 

 were found migrating at Brookville, September 8, and in 1897 one 

 was seen as late as October 5. Mr. Eidgway notes that, in a pair 

 observed, nest building occupied 13 days; egg laying, 8 days; incuba- 

 tion, about 14 days, and 14 days later the young left the nest (B. of 

 111., I, p. 96). 



301. (7216). Troglodytes aedon aztecus Baied. 



Western House Wren. 



Similar to T. aedon, but "above rather grayish-brown, the rump 

 and tail slightly more rusty, and the back and rump generally very 

 distinctly barred -^ith dusky (very rarely plain)" (Eidgway). Averag- 

 ing larger. 



Length, 4.35-5.35; wing, 3.00-2.^o; tail, 1.85-3.13; bill, .45-.55. 



Eange. — "Western North America, except Pacific Coast, from Mex- 

 co (State of Vera Cruz) to Manitoba and Great Slave Lake; east to 

 Minnesota, Illinois and Indiana. Winters from Texas, south. 



Nest and eggs similar to the last. 



The Western House Wren ranges into northwestern Indiana and, 

 perhaps, other portions of the State, where there were originally 

 prairies, and is there a summer resident. It sfeems to be especially 

 attracted to prairie districts. Mr. Eidgway notes this form from 

 Illinois also, where he tells me the House Wrens he has seen from 

 ' the prairie region — Eichland County; about thirty miles west of Vin- 

 cennes, the vicinity of Chicago, etc. — are this form, while at Mt. 

 Carmel, 111., and Vincennes, Ind., the House Wrens are the eastern 

 form. Farther north in Indiana, where the country is more open, 

 he should expect to find aztecus. 



Specimens from Vigo County are of the eastern form. 



Mr. F. M. Woodruff, of Chicago, informs me that two pairs taken 

 near Hammond, Ind., June 4, 1897, were submitted to Prof. J. A. 

 Allen for examination. He writes they agree with T. ce. aztecus, even 

 comparing them with specimens from Arizona. The birds were nest- 

 ing in an old stump within fifty yards of the electric street car line, 



71— Geol. 



