WRENS, THRASHERS, ETC. 449 
family that I watched in southern California it was six weeks from 
the time they began building before the young left the nest. 
721b. T. a. aztecus Baird. Aztec Wren. 
Like parJcmanii, but grayish brown. 
Distribution. — Western United States except the Pacific coast, east to 
the Mississippi Valley ; south to southern Mexico. 
Aztecus is the same jolly little songster as parkmann, clambering 
over your tent and balancing the twigs he carries to his nest, saying 
and doing the same things at 9000 feet in the coniferous forest of the 
mountains of New Mexico as the Parkman at sea-level in the hot val¬ 
leys of southern California. 
GENUS OLBIORCHILUS. 
722a. Olbiorchilus hiemalis pacificus (Baird). Western 
Winter Wren. 
Tail less than three fourths as long as wing; outstretched feet reaching 
far beyond its end. Upper parts dark brown, brighter on rump and upper 
tail coverts ; wings, tail, and often back and rump 
narrowly barred with blackish; superciliary stripe, 
throat, and breast, tawny; belly and under tail coverts 
barred; flanks darker. Length: 3.60-4.25, wing 1.80- 
1.90, tail 1.20-1.35, exposed culmen .40-.45. Fi 8- 574 - 
Distribution. — Breeds on Pacific coast from Sitka south to Monterey 
County, California, and east to Idaho; ranges to western Mexico in winter. 
Nest »— In coniferous woods in crevices of dead logs or stumps, made of 
moss and lined with feathers, J Eggs: 5 to 7, white or creamy, finely but 
sparingly spotted with reddish brown. 
Food. — Largely worms and small white grubs found in the bark of trees. 
While the voluble house wrens are always coming to the front 
singing with heads up and tails hanging, loudly publishing all 
their affairs, the quiet little winter wrens, with heads peering down 
and stubby tails cocked over their backs, are silently creeping over 
the logs and investigating all the darkest cracks and crannies of the 
fallen timber. In the redwood forests Mr. Bailey has found them 
bobbing out from under old logs, diving into hollow stumps or brush 
heaps, their somber color blending with the brown leaves, brown 
bark, and brown wood. In the deeper shade of the darker nooks and 
hollows they disappear entirely, droll Lilliputians making their homes 
among the giant redwoods. 
GENUS CISTOTHORUS. 
General Characters. — Back streaked with black and white; tail gradu¬ 
ated for about half its length. 
KEY TO ADULTS. 
1. Bill as long as head. 
2. Bars on tail coverts indistinct or wanting. East of Rocky Mountains. 
palustris, p. 450. 
2'. Bars on tail coverts distinct. 
