10 
Ridgway’s Description of a New Wren. 
the most destructive bird we have, visiting our orchards and de- 
stroying young buds, blossoms, and fruit. I have swept up a bas- 
ketful of cherry-blossoms from under one tree in a single day, the 
heart of the blossoms being the food sought. 
Santa Cruz , California. 
Note. — In reference to Mr. Cooper’s allusion in the foregoing article to my 
paper on the nest and eggs of the California Purple Finch, I will add that the 
bird sent with the nest is positively Carpodacus purpureus var. californicus , and 
in view of the improbability of Mr. Allen’s having shot a bird not the parent of 
the eggs I am led to believe that these eggs are abnormal specimens, possibly 
representing what may be termed an albinistic tendency, like occasional white 
eggs of our common Bluebird. — W. Brewster. 
DESCRIPTION OF A NEW WREN FROM THE TRES MARIAS 
ISLANDS. 
\ 
BY ROBERT RIDGWAY. 
In casually examining the series of Wrens in the National Mu- 
seum collection, I happened to notice certain differences between 
specimens of so-called Thryothorus felix from the Tres Marias 
Islands, off the western coast of Mexico, and examples typical of the 
species collected on the adjoining mainland, in the vicinity of Ma- 
zatlan. These specimens were all obtained subsequent to the pub- 
lication of Professor Baird’s “Review of American Birds” (1864 — 
1866) ; and since Mr. Lawrence makes no mention of the difference 
alluded to, in either of his recent papers on the ornithology of 
Western Mexico, I presume that gentleman had no opportunity of 
making a direct comparison of the series from the two localities. 
The new form is clearly a derivative from the mainland species, 
but is so far differentiated as to require a distinctive name. I 
therefore propose to name it Thryothorus lawrencii, in honor of the 
distinguished ornithologist referred to above. Its characters are 
as follows : — 
Thryothorus felix, /3. lawrencii, Ridgway, MSS. 
Char. — Above light grayish-brown, without appreciable bars any- 
where, except on the tail ; pileum decidedly more reddish, and inclin- 
ing to light cinnamon-brown. Tail similar in color to the back, but 
