460 WRENS, THRASHERS, ETC. 



3. Paler. East of Pacific coast region to Rocky Mountains. 



plesius, p. 451. 



3'. Darker. Pacific coast region paludicola, p. 450. 



1'. Bill much shorter than head stellaris, p. 450. 



Subgenus Cistothorus. 



724. Cistothorus stellaris (-LicA^). Short-billed Marsh Wken. 



Bill much shorter than head ; plumage brown ; top of head as well as back 

 streaked w ith black and white ; upper tail coverts barred ; under parts 

 buffy or brownish, whiter on throat and belly. Length : 3.75-4.50, wing 

 1.72-1.90, tail 1.58-1.70, bill from nostril .24-.2S. 



Distribution. — Breeds from Lake Winnipeg (Norway House) southeast 

 to Georgia ; in the United States west to the Plains ; casually to Utah ; 

 winters in the south Atlantic and Gulf states. 



Nest. — In tussock of reeds or coarse grass, the tops of which are woven 

 into a spherical nest with entrance on one side, lined with finer grasses 

 and sometimes vegetable down. Eggs : 6 to 8, pure white, unmarked. 



At Provo, Utah, Mr. Henshaw found that the short-billed marsh 

 wren bred in the marshes. 



Subgenus Telmatodytes. 



725. Cistothorus palustris (TTi/s.). Long-billed Marsh Wren. 

 Adults. — Like paludicola., but brown of upper parts averaging more 



rusty, bars on middle tail feathers usually more indistinct or incomplete, 

 and bars on tail coverts usually indistinct or wanting. Length : 4.25-5.50, 

 wing l.SO-2.12, tail 1.60-1.90, bill .55-61. Young: top of head, nape, and 

 back dull black without white spots or streaks. 



Distribution. — Breeds in Transition and Upper Sonoran zones from 

 Manitoba and Ontario south in tlie eastern United States; west to the 

 Rocky Mountains ; winters locally from southern New England to the Gulf 

 states and eastern Mexico. 



Nest. — Globular, with entrance on one side, attached to upright reeds in 

 marshes. Eggs : 5 to 9, chocolate, sometimes nearly uniform, but usually 

 sprinkled with a deeper shade. 



725a. C. p. paludicola Baird. Tule Wren. 



Top of head and triangular patch on middle of back black ; middle of 

 crown washed with brown ; back patch streaked with white ; rest of back 

 light brown ; middle tail feathers and tail coverts generally distinctly and con- 

 tinuously barred with black ; under parts soiled whitish, flanks brownish. 

 Length: 4.50-5.75, wing 1.95-2.22. tail 1.80-2.05, bill .48-.55. 



Distribution. — Breeds in Pacific coast region from British Columbia to 

 California ; south in winter to extreme northwestern Mexico. 



Nest. — A large globular structure fastened to tule stalks, and woven 

 of wet tule stems, with wet g-rass and algae matted in, and with a lining of 

 dry algje and tule pith. Eggs (1 set) : 5, lavender brown, clouded or mot- 

 tled. 



Food. — Insects. 



The wrens of the marshes are as full of song as the house wrens, 

 and as they live in colonies where they all sing at once their 

 swamps are as noisy as a pond full of frogs, but their voices are 



