Troglodytes europæus, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 93.
Winter Wren, Sylvia Troglodytes, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. i. p. 139, pl. 8, fig. 6.
Troglodytes Hyemalis, Winter Wren, Richards. and Swains. Fauna Bor.-Amer. vol. ii. p. 318.
Winter Wren, Nuttall, Manual, vol. i. p. 427.
Adult Male. Plate CCCLX. Fig 1.
Bill rather long, slender, tapering, acute, nearly straight, subtrigonal at the base, compressed towards the end. Upper mandible with the dorsal outline slightly arched, the ridge narrow, the sides sloping at the base, towards the end slightly convex and erect, the edges sharp, direct, without notæ; lower mandible with the angle narrow and rather acute, the dorsal outline straight, the back narrow, the edges sharp, and inflected, the tip very narrow; the gape-line very slightly arched. Nostrils linear-oblong, basal.
Head ovate, of moderate size, neck short; body ovate. Feet of ordinary length; tarsus compressed, with seven anterior scutella, of which the upper are indistinct; toes rather large compressed; first large, and much longer than the two lateral which are equal, the third much longer; the third and fourth coherent as far as the second joint of the latter. Claws long, arched, extremely compressed, laterally grooved, acute.
Plumage soft and blended; no bristle-feathers at the base of the bill. Wing shortish, broad, much rounded; first quill very small, being little more than half the length of the second, which is 2 1/4 twelfths shorter than the third; the fourth longest, and exceeding the third by half a twelfth, and the fourth by somewhat less; secondaries long, rounded. Tail short, much rounded, of twelve slightly arched, weak rounded feathers.
Bill dusky brown, with the basal edges of the upper and two-thirds of the lower mandible paler. Iris brown. Tarsi and toes pale greenish-brown, as are the claws. The general colour of the upper parts is reddish-brown, darker on the head, brighter on the tail-coverts, quills, and tail. There is a white spot near the tips of the posterior dorsal feathers. The secondary coverts, and the first small coverts, have each a white spot at the tip. The wing-coverts and quills banded with blackish-brown and brownish-red, the bands of the latter colour becoming reddish-white on the outer five quills. Tail with twelve dusky-bands. The dorsal feathers and scapulars are more faintly barred in the same manner. A brownish-white band from the upper mandible over the eye; the cheeks brown, spotted with brownish-white, the margins of the feathers being of the former colour; the lower parts pale reddish-brown, the sides and abdomen barred with brownish-black and greyish-white; the fore neck and breast more faintly barred; the lower wing-coverts and axillars greyish-white, barred with dusky; the lower tail-coverts brownish-red, barred with dusky and having the tip white.
Length to end of tail 3 7/8 inches, to end of wings 3 1/8, to end of claws 4 3/8; extent of wings 6 1 1/2/8; wing from flexure 1 7/8; tail 1 5/12; bill along the ridge 5/12; tarsus 8/12; hind toe 4/12, its claw 4/12; middle toe 6/12, its claw 2 3/4/12. Weight 6 dr.