Jan., 1910 
SOME CENTRA], COLORADO BIRD NOTES 
39 
way between Beulah and Pueblo, and rather frequently between Eden and Buttes 
stations. 
Dumetella carolinensis. Catbird. Several seen at Glendale, and Durand took 
one in Hardscrabble Canon. 
Salpinctes obsoletus. Rock Wren. Seen at favorable places between Colorado 
Springs and Texas Creek; between Mears and Ponclia Pass; near the roadside, in 
northern Huerfano County; at Querida, where family parties were seen; about ten 
miles west of Pueblo, and between Eden and Pinon stations. 
Troglodytes aedon parkmani. Western House Wren. Seen at different places 
between Colorado Springs and Howard; at Durkee Ranch; Mosca Creek; Muddy 
Creek; in Hardscrabble Canon one was caught in a mouse trap set under the over- 
hanging creek bank; also seen near Buttes. 
Cistothorus stellaris. Short-billed Marsh Wren. Cary took one at Medano 
Ranch, October 23, 1907 {Auk, xxvi, p. 182, April, 1909). We made a careful 
search for the bird, especially at the small lake where we were told he obtained his 
specimen, but no birds -were found, and no nests were to be found about the cat-tails 
and rushes where they would have built if they had been there, so I have come to 
the same conclusion as in the case of the Swamp Sparrow, that Cary’s bird was a 
straggling migrant. 
Telmatodytes palustris plesius. Interior Tule Wren. Henshaw, in his report, 
records three specimens from the San Luis Lakes, taken in May and June, 1873. 
While I did not know of this when at the lakes, the search for the Short-billed Wren 
should have revealed this species if it had been there. 
Sitta carolinensis nelsoni. Rocky Mountain Nuthatch. Seen at Howard, and 
at Mosca Creek. Also taken at Querida, February 6, 1909. 
Penthestes atricapillus septentrionalis. Long-tailed Chickadee. Seen at Her- 
ard’s Ranch, Madenos Creek. 
Penthestes gambeli. Mountain Chickadee. Taken at Howard and Querida; 
also at latter place, February, 1909. 
Psaltriparus plumbeus. Lead-colored Bush-tit. Taken near Parkdale; seen at 
Texas Creek, and at Howard. 
Myadestes townsendi. Townsend’s Solitaire. One seen on a high ridge near 
the head of Madenos Creek. 
Planesticus migratorius propinquus. Western Robin. Seen constantly from 
Colorado Springs to Villa Grove; after that none were seen until we got to the Dur- 
kee Ranch, and from there on seen at every locality until we reached Colorado 
Springs. 
Sialia mexicana bairdi. Chestnut-backed Bluebird. Seen about a mile west of 
Texas Creek, and Durand saw four or five near our Madenos Creek camp. 
Sialia currucoides. Mountain Bluebird. Seen almost everywhere from Colo- 
rado Springs to Beulah. After the middle of July many young birds were seen. 
FOR THE BETTER DETERMINATION OF AGE LAI US TRICOLOR 
By JOHN W. MAILLIARD 
WITH TWO PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOSEPH MAI 1,1,1 A R I) 
W ITH only a limited reference library available, it is perhaps unwise to un- 
dertake the betterment of the determination of a species; and yet our own 
douts, coupled with those exprest by many of our ornithological friends, 
