BIRDS—LI0TRICH1DAE—THRIOTHORUS. 
359 
Sub-Family TROGLODYTINAE. 
Tail feathers rather narrow ; the middle ones less than one-sixth as wide as long. Tail more or less vaulted or concave 
below ; usually considerably graduated. Tarsus longer than the middle toe, which exceeds the hinder ones ; the lateral toes 
generally equal, and reaching the base of the middle claw. Hind toe much longer than the lateral. Size diminutive. 
The sub-divisions are as follows : 
Thriothorus. —Wings equal to or shorter than the tail, which is nearly even, the lateral 
feathers only graduated. Bill nearly equal to the head, decurved. Toes not reaching to the end 
of the tail. Color uniform brown on the back. 
Cistothorus. —Wings longer than the tail, which is short, and all the feathers much 
graduated. Toes reaching to or beyond the tip of the tail. Feet large ; hind claw at least 
equal to the rest of the toe. Back black, streaked with white. 
Telmatodytes. —Bill nearly as long as the head. Hind claw longer than the rest of the toe. 
Cistothorus .—Bill much shorter than the head. Hind claw equal to the rest of the toe. 
Troglodytes. —Wings longer than the tail or nearly equal. Tail rounded ; the lateral 
feathers graduated. Hind claw shorter than the rest of the toe. Back brown, obsoletely 
waved with dusky. 
Troglodytes .—Wings about equal to the tail. Toes reaching to the tip of the tail. Bill 
nearly as long r as the head, compressed, decurved. 
Anorthura .—Wings much longer than the very short tail. Bill shorter than the head, 
slender, nearly straight. End of tarsus reaching to the tip of the tail. 
THRIOTHORUS, Vieillot. 
Thriothorus, Vieillot, Analyse, 1816. 
Thryothorus, Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. XXXIV, 1819, 55. 
Thryothurus, Swainson, Class. Birds, II, 1837, 319. 
Ch.— Bill about as long as the head ; nearly straight to near the tip, which is abruptly decurved, with an obsolete notch. 
Gonys nearly straight. Hind toe nearly equal to the middle ; the lateral toes equal, reaching to the base of the middle claw. 
Tarsus longer than the middle toe. Wings about equal to the tail, which is arched, and nearly even ; the first or second 
lateral feathers moderately graduated ; the feathers narrow ; the width of longest about one-tenth its length. 
This genus is apparently related to Campylorhynchus in almost every respect, the chief 
difference being in the tail, which is rather shorter, being equal to the tail instead of less, and 
the feathers much narrower, and more vaulted ; the width of the longest is about one-tenth the 
length, instead of one-fifth or sixth. The bill is straighter to the tip, which is more abruptly 
decurved. 
In Thryothorus maculipectus the inner lateral toe is a little shorter than the outer ; the other 
characters are much the same. 
I have associated in this division the T. beivickii , which differs in longer tail, the lateral 
feathers of which are more graduated. The other differences are not important. It is at any 
rate more naturally placed here than in Telmatodytes , where Cabanis has assigned it. 
The precise determination of the section of American wrens to which Vieillot’s name should 
belong is a matter of much uncertainty. I have not Vieillot’s Analyse at hand to know what 
species he considers as type, but Gray quotes as such, Thryothorus arundinaceus , Vieillot. In 
the article on Thryothorus , in Nouv. Diet. XXXIV, 1819, 55, Vieillot says that when he 
established the genus he knew of but one species, the u Thryothore des roseaux.” The bird of 
