494 Birds of Colorado 



Denver, July 8tli, 1S96, W. H. Bergtold ; while H. G. Smith obtained 

 a single female caught by a cat in his house at Denver, October 13th, 

 1891. Warren informs me that he saw a specimen in the Sapinero 

 Valley, Gunnison co., on September 26th, 1906, at about 8,500 feet. 

 It may therefore be considered a resident. 



I have not seen a Colorado example of the Winter-Wren, but have 

 followed Prof. Cooke in assigning the Colorado records to the eastern 

 rather than the western form of the bird ; H. G. Smith's example was 

 also assigned by Oberholser, of the Biological Survey, to the eastern 

 subspecies. 



Habits. — ^The Winter- Wren is a somewhat shy and 

 retiring bird, keeping near the ground, generally in thick 

 undergrowth or among fallen timber, where it creeps 

 about investigating cracks and crannies for its insect 

 food. On this account it is probably often overlooked, 

 and may be of commoner occurrence than it is generally 

 thought to be. The nest is usually placed in a crevice 

 in a fallen log or in a stump ; it is large and sohdly made, 

 and lined with fur and feathers. The eggs, five to seven 

 in number, are white, sparingly spotted with reddish- 

 brown, and measure "65 x •48. It has not yet been 

 found breeding in the State. 



Genus CISTOTHORUS. 



Bill very short and slender, less than half the length of the head ; 

 tail shorter than the wing, graduated ; plumage with the back and 

 crown streaked longitudinally with black and white, eggs white. 



A considerable American genus, with only one species in the United 

 States. 



Short-billed Marsh-Wren. Cistothorus stellaris. 



A.O.U. Checklist no 724— Colorado Record— Cary 09, p. 184. 



Description. — Adult — Above streaked with dusky and light brown 

 in varying amovmts, with, in addition, narrow white streaks on the 

 scapulars and back ; tail barred with light and dark brown ; below 

 white, tinged with pale rufous on the chest, flanks and under tail- 

 coverts ; bill dusky, with quite pale horny lower mandible, legs 

 brownish, pinkLsh in the flesh. Length 3-75; wing 1-75; tail 1-40; 

 culmen -40 ; tarsus -65. 



The sexes are alike ; in autumn the plumage is somewhat more richly 

 coloured. 



