244 BULLETIN 195, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



In order to satisfy me as to the characters that separate waynei 

 from 77ia7ia7ia>e, James L. Peters and James C. Grecnway helped me 

 examine the series of botli forms in the Museum of Comparative Zo- 

 ology in Cambridge, where there are 31 specimens from the west coast 

 of Florida and 18 specimens from North and South Carolina. It 

 seems to me that, in the Florida birds, the sides of the head and 

 neck average darker, the black space on the back is rather more ex- 

 tensive and the flanks are browner than in the Carolina birds; also, 

 the breast, in adults at least, is more inclined to be mottled with 

 dusky, and there is much less white on the under parts. These are 

 only average differences and are rather slight, but the Carolina bird 

 seems to be far enough removed geographically to warrant its recog- 

 nition as a subspecies. 



Kidgway ( 1904) gives the best description of Marian's marsh wren 

 as follows: 



Similar to T. p. palustris, but smaller, the coloration much darker ; pileum 

 usually entirely black or with black largely predominating; white streaks of 

 interscapular region narrower, sometimes almost obliterated ; brown of scapulars, 

 rump, etc., darker, the upper tail-coverts (sometimes the whole rump) usually 

 barred with dusky; sides and flanks more extensively, and usually darker, 

 brown than in T. p. palustris, the chest often strongly shaded pale brown or 

 brownish buff; frequently the chest or sides (or both) are speckled with dusky, 

 and sometimes the sides and flanks are barred with darker brown ; under tail- 

 coverts distinctly, often broadly, barred with brown or dusky ; mandible usually 

 dusky for much the greater part of its length. 



As to its haimts in the vicinity of Tarpon Springs, Fla., the type 

 locality, W. E. D. Scott (1890) says: "I have found them most com- 

 monly on the salt water marshes at the head of tide water, but have 

 detected them in tlie saw-grasses of the fresh water lakes and ponds 

 that I have investigated for at least ten miles back from the coast." 



Nesting. — Arthur H. Howell (1932) writes: "In the extensive salt 

 marshes at the mouth of Pithlachascotee River, near Port Richey, 

 we found these Wrens breeding commonly in the dense growth of 

 Juncus, standing 4 to 5 feet high. On May 28, 1918, we collected 

 several well-grown young birds. In the marsh at Elvers, June 2, 

 1919, D. J. Nicholson observed several nests from 5 to 9 feet above 

 the ground in mangrove trees." 



There are two sets of eggs in my collection, taken by C. J. Pennock, 

 near St. Marks, Fla., that came from nests 2 feet above the ground 

 in saw grass. 



D. J. Nicholson wrote to Mr. Wheeler (1931) that these wrens near 

 New Port Richey "nest among Juncus (/. roemeriamis) , a sharp- 

 pointed rush, and princij^ally in mangrove trees from 5 to 14 feet above 

 the mud in salt marshes. The tree-nesting may seem strange to you 

 and it was quite a surprise to me wlien I found them nesting under 



