Western Marsh-Wren 495 



Distribution. — Breeding from Manitoba and Maine southwards to 

 Georgia and westwards to Utah ; wintering in the Gulf states. 



This bird has been fovind breeding at Prove, on Utah Lake, and one 

 example has been taken at Cheyenne, in Wyoming, but the only 

 undoubted record of the species within the State is that of Merritt 

 Gary, who shot one in a rank growth of marsh-grass on the Medano 

 Springs Ranch, in the San Luis Valley, October 23rd, 1907, and saw 

 another individual next day. 



Genus TELMATODYTES. 



Closely resembling Cistothoriis, but the bill longer, more than half 

 the length of the head, and the crown plain without streaks ; eggs 

 dark brown. 



One species only, confined to temperate North America, but divided 

 into a number of local races. 



Western Marsh -Wren. Tclmatodytes palustris plesius. 



A.O.U. Checklist no 725c — Colorado Records — Aiken 72, p. 196 ; 

 Henshaw 75, p. 185 ; Drew 81, p. 88 ; 85, p. 15 ; Allen & Brewster 83, 

 p. 155 ; Morrison 88, p. 72 ; Osburn 93, p. 212 ; Cooke 97, pp. 19, 121, 

 222 ; Richards 08, p. 38. 



Description. — Adult — Crown dusky black, becoming brown in the 

 centre line to a varying extent ; centre of the back black, streaked 

 with white ; rest of the upper-surface rufous-brown, dusky on the wings 

 and tail, the upper tail-coverts more or less distinctly barred with 

 dusky ; the tail-feathers barred dusky and rufous, especially the median 

 pair ; a well-marked white superciliary stripe ; below dull white, passing 

 into pale cinnamon-brown on the flanks ; under tail-coverts more or 

 less distinctly barred ; iris brown, bill dusky-brown, paler on the lower 

 mandible; legs brownish. Length of a female 4-25; wing 2-10; tail 

 1-75 ; culmen -50 ; tarsus -72. 



The sexes are alike, the coloration is a little richer in autumn and the 

 young are like the adults, but the pattern of coloiu- is less distinct 

 and the superciliary stripe is almost obsolete. 



Distribution. — This subspecies is found in the Rocky Mountain 

 district, extending from British Columbia to New Mexico, and west to 

 eastern slopes of the Cascades ; it winters in many places within its 

 breeding range, as well as in the northern states of Mexico. 



In Colorado the Western Marsh-Wren is not uncommon where there 

 are suitable spots, such as marshy lakes. It is undoubtedly a resident 

 throughout the year in many places. L. J. Hersey tells me he ha.? 

 repeatedly observed it at Barr Lake, near Denver, in the months of 

 December, January and February, while Richards (08) saw two at 

 Littleton, also near Denver, on Christmas Day, 1907, and Cooke states 

 that it has been seen in Routt co. in January by A. A. Bennett. Other 



