THRASHERS AND WRENS 169 



coarse grass. They are usually found with diffi- 

 culty, as they have a way of skulking in the 

 grass and sedges, rarely appearing, but indicat- 

 ing their presence by their sharp calls, which 

 Mr. Thompson says sound like the noise made 

 by striking- two pebbles together. The song is 

 described by Nuttall as a "lively and quaint 

 song, Hsh^ tship, a-day, day, day, day,^ delivered 

 in haste and earnestly, at short intervals, either 

 when he is mounted on a tuft of sedge or while 

 perching on some low bush near the skirt of 

 the marsh." 



This, too, is a very small Wren, scarcely more 

 than four inches long. The upper parts are 

 streaked black, brown and buff, the wings and 

 tail beine somewhat barred. The under parts 

 are white, tinged with light brown on the breast 

 and sides. They breed as far north as Massa- 

 chusetts, and winter from the Gulf States south- 

 ward. This bird is also said to build extra nests 

 as does the Long-billed, and its nesting habits 

 are very similar. 



