272 BULLETIN 195, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Ralph Hoffmann (1904) says: "While the song of the Long-billed 

 Marsh Wren resembles the House Wren's in its volubility, that of the 

 Short-billed Marsh Wren suggests rather some species of sparrow. It 

 may be represented by the syllables tsip tsip tsip tsipper tsipper tsipper^ 

 the first two or three notes staccato, the rest running rapidly down the 

 scale. The call note is like the opening note of the song." 



The song reminded Dr. Sutton (1928) "of the insect-like perform- 

 ance of the Dickcissel, particularly the latter portion of the song. 

 This song might be written 'Dick, putt, jik, plick, chick-chick-chick.' " 

 And Bagg and Eliot (1937) write it ^Hsick, zwick, diddle-diddle- 

 diddUr 



As to the length of the song period. Dr. Walkinshaw (1935) writes : 



With us the Short-bill sings from the time of arrival in the spring until the 

 departure for the south in the fall. During the months of April, May, June, and 

 July it sings almost continuously during the hours of daylight. During August, 

 when many of our birds are extremely quiet, this species is still a persistent 

 singer and even in September and October I have heard its repeated song at 

 certain times of day. 



Of the pair which nested directly back of our house in 1933, the male was 

 heard to sing not only during the day but at nearly all hours of night. During 

 the months of May, June, July, and August I heard this male sing at various 

 times; from 11:30 P. M. until 2:00 a. m., and until daylight. Then he would 

 sing all day long until 9 :30 p. m. but from 9 :30 to 11 :30 p. m. I never heard 

 him sing. Sometimes between the hours of 2 and 5 a. m. he would sing as 

 persistently as during the hours of daylight. 



He usually sang the song once, then paused a few seconds before repeating. 

 During the height of the nesting season he would sing once every five seconds 

 for a period of several minutes. Many times when he was timed, he sang twelve 

 times a minute, while at others he would only sing six or eight times. After 

 August 10 this bird did not sing nearly as often but he continued to sing early 

 in the morning and late in the evening until he left on October 5. This Wren 

 had favorite perches from which he would sing, two on willows, another on a 

 wire fence which was about 1000 yards from the nest. The two willows, how- 

 ever, were only about 25 feet distant. 



He says there is some variation in the song and writes the full, long 

 song as "chap-chap-churr-churr-chur-r-r-chap-chur-chur-r." The 

 usual song, quickly repeated, is merely the first part of the above. 

 "After the season had progressed into the months of August and 

 September this became much less forceful and the opening became, 

 'Sit-sit-sit-churr-chur-r-r,' or 'Sit-sit-sit-sit-t-t.' " He gives the 

 scolding notes as "Churr-churr" and "Chap-churr." 



Aretas A. Saunders writes to me: "The song of this bird is un- 

 mistakable when known because of its peculiar quality, not like that 

 of any other bird I know. It is not musical or guttural, but the pitch 

 of the notes can be determined in spite of this. It begins with two to 

 five short notes, sounding like 'tip', and ends with a trill or a series 

 of rapid notes all on one pitch, and one to three tones lower than the 

 first notes. When the first notes are two or three in number they are 



