_Troglodytes mexicanus_, HEERMANN, J. A. N. Sc. 2d ser. II, 1853,
63.—IB. P. R. R. Rep. X, 1859, 41.—CASSIN, Illust. Birds Cal. I,
1854, 173, pl. xxx. _Catherpes mexicanus_, BAIRD, Birds N. Am.
1858, 356 (in part); Rev. III (in part).—COOPER, Orn. Cal. 1,
1870, 66. _Catherpes mexicanus_ var. _conspersus_, RIDGWAY.
SP. CHAR. (No. 53,425 ♂, near Fort Churchill, Nevada, December 7,
1867; R. RIDGWAY). Above, brownish-ashy on the anterior, and bright
cinnamon-rufous on the posterior half, the two colors shading
insensibly together. The anterior, or grayish portion thickly
sprinkled with numerous small circular dots of white, each preceded by
a smaller speck of dusky; a few of these dots on the rump. Wings with
obsolete, ragged, narrow, _isolated_ bars of dusky, these most sharply
defined on the secondaries. Tail clear rufous, crossed with about nine
very narrow, thread-like, somewhat zigzag bars of black,—these about
.02 wide on the middle, and .07 on the outer feather. Beneath,
anterior third, pure silky-white, shading insensibly into soft
ochraceous on the breast, this soon darkening into deep ferruginous,
the color of all the posterior lower parts; the whole of this
ferruginous surface, with very obsolete transverse spots of white,
each preceded by a narrower dusky one. Length, 5.75; extent of wings,
7.50 (fresh); wing, 2.48; tail, 2.13; culmen, .83; tarsus, .56. Bill
deep slate, paler, and with lilaceous tinge, at base of lower
mandible; iris umber; tarsi and toes black (fresh colors).
HAB. Central region of North America, from boundary of United States
northward. Extends up Valley of Colorado. Western Nevada, resident;
RIDGWAY.
The above characters apply to all specimens of _Catherpes_ from north
of Mexico, as substantiated by a sufficient series in the collection.
It is a remarkable fact that this northern race should be so much
smaller than the Mexican one, especially in view of the fact that it
is a resident bird in even the most northern parts of its ascertained
habitat.
HABITS. The geographical distribution of this race of the
White-throated Wren, so far as known, is confined to the line of the
United States and Mexican boundary, extending northward up the Valley
of the Colorado, as far as Western Nevada. The corresponding Mexican
race reaches some distance southward, but has not yet been detected
beyond the limits of Mexico. The habits of both races, however, are
quite similar, as far as known.
Dr. Heermann first met with this Wren in the spring of 1851, on the
Cosumnes River. In the following year he procured three specimens on
the Calaveras River. He describes it as an active, sprightly bird,
having a loud and pleasing song that may be heard a great distance,
and which it repeats at short intervals. When found, it was occupied
with searching for insects, between and under the large boulders of
rock that, in some portions of the river, are thrown together in
confused masses, as if by some terrific convulsion of nature.
Dr. Kennerly also met with this species in similar localities among
the hills bordering upon the Big Sandy, where the rocks are also
described as piled up thick and high. They were darting from rock to
rock and creeping among the crevices with great activity, constantly
repeating their peculiar and singular note. The great rapidity of
their motions rendered it difficult to procure a specimen. He did not
observe this bird anywhere else.
Their occurrence equally in such wild and desolate regions and in the
midst of crowded cities indicates that the abundance of their food in
either place, and not the absence or presence of man, determines this
choice of residence. When first observed they were supposed to nest
exclusively in deep and inaccessible crevices of rocks, where they
were not likely to be traced. Mr. H. E. Dresser afterwards met with
its nest and eggs in Western Texas, though he gives no description of
either. He found this species rather common near San Antonio, where it
remained to breed. One pair frequented a printing-office at that
place, an old half-ruined building, where their familiar habits made
them great favorites with the workmen, who informed him that the
previous spring they had built a nest and reared their young in an old
wall close by, and that they became very tame. At Dr. Heermann’s
rancho on the Medina he procured the eggs of this bird, as well as
those of the Louisiana and Bewick’s Wren, by nailing up cigar-boxes,
with holes cut in front, wherever these birds were likely to build.
Mr. Sumichrast describes its nest[29] as very skilfully wrought with
spiders’ webs, and built in the crevices of old walls, or in the
interstices between the tiles under the roofs of the houses. A nest
with four eggs, supposed to be those of this species, was obtained in
Western Texas by Mr. J. H. Clark; it was cup-shaped, not large, and
with only a slight depression. The eggs, four in number, were
unusually oblong and pointed for eggs of this family, and measured .80
by .60 of an inch, with a crystalline-white ground, profusely covered
with numerous and large blotches of a reddish or cinnamon brown.
So far as the observations of Mr. Ridgway enabled him to notice this
bird, he found it much less common than the _Salpinctes obsoletus_,
and inhabiting only the most secluded and rocky recesses of the
mountains. Its common note of alarm is described as a peculiarly
ringing _dīnk_. It has a remarkably odd and indescribably singular
chant, utterly unlike anything else Mr. Ridgway ever heard. This
consisted of a series of detached whistles, beginning in a high fine
key, every note clear, smooth, and of equal length, each in succession
being a degree lower than the preceding one, and only ending when the
bottom of the scale is reached. The tone is soft, rich, and silvery,
resembling somewhat the whistling of the Cardinal Grosbeak.
It was often seen to fly nearly perpendicularly up the face of a rocky
wall, and was also noticed to cling to the roof of a cave with all the
facility of a true Creeper.