508 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 9& 



Hellmayr -^ has united Clstothorus and Telmatodytes in one genus 

 on the grounds that Cistothonis apoUnari Chapman from the Suba 

 Marshes near Bogota is a connecting link between the two. In this 

 he has been deceived by the gross appearance of the South American 

 bird, a most remarkable species, which is, relatively speaking, a giant 

 in its group. The mucli larger size of apoUnari is deceptive, as in the 

 relative proportions of its large, heavy bill, in the graduation of the 

 tail, in the distal tapering of the rectrices, and in the relative length 

 of the exposed culmen compared with the middle toe it agrees with 

 Cistothorus steUaris and differs as does that species from Tehna- 

 todytes palustris. Under the circumstances it seems to me necessary 

 to recognize two genera, unless we proceed to recast our ideas of 

 generic alliance, in which case these and many others would attain 

 the value of subgenera. Cistothorus apolmari in its very large, 

 strong feet and tarsi differs decidedly from all the other marsh 

 wrens, and on this basis it possibly may be separated as a third gen- 

 eric or at least subgeneric group when more is known about it. 



TELMATODYTES PALUSTRIS WAYNEl Dingle and Sprunt^^: Wayne's Marsh Wren 



This is a strongly marked form, characterized by very dark color 

 above, with the black extensive and the browns dark and with more 

 or less barring on sides and under tail coverts. It was described from 

 a migrant bird at Charleston with the indication that it was the 

 breeding bird of the coastal area of North Carolina, a supposition 

 that has j^roved true. 



A mile north of Engelhard these birds were common in October, 

 so that Perrygo and I secured four on October 14 in marshes near the 

 highway leading north. Perrygo collected another 7 miles southwest 

 of Stumpy Point, October 17, and one 6 miles northeast of Beaufort, 

 November 18. More interesting is an adult female obtained 2 miles 

 northeast of Southport May 17. This bird is entirely typical of its 

 race though taken a mile distant from T. p. griseus^ which breeds 

 here in the coastal region. It is probable that it is a migrant in 

 passage from the south, but possibly here is a point where the ranges 

 of the two forms in question join. 



Burleigh,-^ late in May 1932, found waynei in the coastal area from 

 Swanquarter northward and reports that no marsh wrens were en- 

 countered at Beaufort. The matter is one that should be carefully 

 investigated. 



29 Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Zool. Ser.. vol. 13. Nov. 15, 1934, p. 114. 



^ Telmatodytes palii.'itns icaynei Dingle and Sprunt. Auk, Oct. 1932, p. 4"p4 (Mount Pleas- 

 ant, S. C). 



25 Auk, 1937, p. 457. 



