548 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 
barred with brownish gray and dusky ; beneath dull whitish, tinged on flanks with 
pale cinnamon, the lower tail-coverts barred, or transversely spotted, with black- 
ish, and the chest usually more or less speckled or streaked with dusky (some- 
times immaculate). Young with top of head, hind-neck, and back plain rusty 
grayish, and the lower parts plain whitish anteriorly, plain pale cinnamon on flanks 
and under tail-coverts. West usually in clefts or crevices among rocks, sometimes 
in hollow stumps or about buildings. Eggs pure white, finely and sparsely speckled, 
chiefly on or round larger end, with chestnut-brown (sometimes nearly immacu- 
late). 
a’. Lighter and grayer, with chest, etc., less distinctly speckled; wing and tail 
longer, bill and tarsi shorter; length 5.12-6.35, wing 2.68-2.80 (2.77), tail 
2.12-2.40 (2.27), bill from nostril .44-.54 (.49), tarsus .76—.80 (.79), middle toe 
.52-.60 (.56). Eggs .73 x 57. Hab. Arid regions of western United States, 
east to the Great Plains, south over tablelands of Mexico and Guatemala to 
Salvador ssc sveos.scierscdaatasatesarvavaaes 715. S. obsoletus (Say). Rock Wren. 
a. Darker and browner, with chest, etc, more distinctly speckled; wing and tail 
shorter, bill and tarsi longer; wing 2.55-2.75 (2.62), tail 2.00-2.30 (2.20), bill 
from nostril .55-.60 (.59), tarsus .80-.90 (.85), middle toe .50-.55 (.52). Hggs 
75 x .59, usually (?) plain white. Hab. Guadalupe Island, Lower California. 
716. S. guadeloupensis Ripew. Guadalupe Rock Wren. 
Genus CATHERPES Bairp. (Page 540, pl. CXXLI,, fig. 4.) 
Species. 
Common CuaractErs.—Prevailing color brown, the anterior lower parts white, 
or else decidedly paler than posterior portions, the latter more or less speckled with 
white or dusky (sometimes both); tail (in C. mexicanus’) clear cinnamon-rusty, 
crossed by narrow, distinct, and rather distant bars of black. Young essentially 
like adults, but usually without white specks on upper parts or posterior lower 
parts, which are instead mottled, more or less, with dusky. Nest in crevices of 
rocks, various odd nooks about buildings, and similar situations. ggs 3-5, or more, 
pure white, rather sparsely speckled, chiefly on larger end, with reddish brown and 
lilac-gray. 
a, Smaller (exposed culmen less than 1.00, tarsus not more than .80); chin, throat, 
and chest white, in marked (though not abrupt) contrast with rusty of pos- 
terior lower parts; upper parts brownish (varying from light cinnamon- 
grayish to rusty brown and sepia), speckled with white and dusky (with 
dusky alone in young); wings rusty brown, narrowly barred with dusky. 
b'. Larger and darker colored; above dark rusty brown, varying to sepia, the 
wings barred with rusty; black bars on tail broader, those on outer 
feather about .08-.10 wide ; length about 6.00-6.50, wing 2.40-2.90 (2.72), 
tail 2.30-2.45 (2.37), exposed culmen .70-.95 (.87), bill from nostril .55- 
1Tn the single known specimen of C, swmichrasti Lawn. the tail is, unfortunately, wanting, 
