376 TIIRASIIERS, warms, ETC.

seconds in an undecided way, they will return to or near the place from which they rose.

Their flight is light and airy. and in loose companies they undulate gently through the air without apparent etfort, uttering their faint (ice-(lee as they fly.

Si’imnrn‘s l’iri'r (700. A 111/1 us spray/writ aspeeies ot'the Great Plains, has been onee recorded from ii tar Charleston, 8. C. (Wayne, Auk, xi, 1594. p. MI).

The EI'ROI’EAX Warn: “'Ao'rAiL (0.04. JIotaei/Zrt ulba) and EI‘HOI’EAN )IzAnow Pirir (INN. Ant/ms I)I'alell.5'[8) have been recorded as ofaceidentai occurrence in Greenland.

FAMILY TROGLODYTIDIE. THRASHERS, VVRENS, ETC.

Two quite different subfamilies are included under this head, the Thrashers and Mockingbirds, numbering some titty species, and com- prising the subfamily le'minw, and the subfamily Troyhxlylinw, which includes the one hundred and fifty known species of \Vrens. The former is a distinctively American group. most numerously represented in the tropical and subtropical parts of the continent, only a dozen spe- cies reaching the United States. Generally speaking, they are inhab- itants of scrubby growths and bushy borders of woods. They are POS- sessed of remarkable vocal ability, and the Mockingbirds. of which there are sixteen species, are universally conceded first rank among our song birds so far as powers of execution are concerned.

The Wrens have a few representatives in the Old World. but by far the greater number inhabit America, where they are most abundant in the tropics. Wrens, as a rule. are thicket haunters. They are active, nervous, excitable birds. and most of the species have charac- teristic scolding notes with which they express displeasure or alarm. The majority are highly musical.

KEY 'ro Tm“. si-iccigs. A. Wing over 3'30; tail without black bars. a. Back slate—color; cap black; under tail»eo\‘erts rufluisdrrown. 704. (”my"). 1). Back and crown grayish: under parts whitish; outer tail—feathers white. 702;. Moemxumnn. 0. Back rut'ous; under parts spotted with black . 70:7. l’mowx Tnmsuian. B. Win: less than 3'0”; tail with nuuu-rous small bars. a. l'pper parts rut'ous. a loner. conspicuous whitish line over the eye; under parts ereain—luiti or oehraewins-butl'; wing 715‘. (".xieouNA Win-1s. 71er. FLORIDA Win-IN. I). l'pper parts uniform dark, reddish olive—brown; back without white streaks.

—) or over.