246 BULLETIN 195, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



TELMATODYTES PALUSTRIS WAYNEI Dingle and Sprunt 

 WAYNE'S MARSH WREN 



Comment on this subspecies was made under Marian's marsh wren, 

 to which the reader is referred. Since that account was written, the 

 above subspecies has been accepted and will appear in the next Check- 

 list. 



Dingle and Sprunt (1932) describe it as "similar to Telmatodytes 

 palustris palustris, but smaller; bill shorter and more slender; wing, 

 tail and tarsus average shorter ; upper parts darker, inclining more to 

 olive brown; head and nape sooty black, the majority of specimens 

 showing a short, faint median streak ; black dorsal area of greater ex- 

 tent; tail and under tail coverts more heavily barred; flanks richer 

 brown ; these, and sides of breast with more or less barring." 



"A satisfactory comparison of Telmatodytes palustris waynei with 

 marianae^'' these authors say, "is not possible on account of inadequacy 

 of specimens of the latter. In size, waynei seems to be slightly larger 

 than the Florida form ; in color it is quite similar, except that there is 

 more white on the under parts." 



The breeding range of this form seems to be on the coast of North 

 Carolina, and it is found in South Carolina and Georgia in winter. 

 See remarks under marianae. Its habits are apparently no different 

 from those of the other coastal races of the species. 



TELMATODYTES PALUSTRIS THRYOPmLUS Oberholser 



LOUISIANA MARSH WREN 



HABITS 



The long-billed marsh wren of the coast region of southern Louisiana 

 is very much like Marian's marsh wren and evidently closely related to 

 it. Ridgway (1904) makes this comparison: "Similar to T. p. mari- 

 anae^ but paler and still smaller; pileum always extensively brown 

 medially, often mostly brown ; brown of scapulars, rump, etc., lighter, 

 sometimes approaching broccoli brown or drab ; upper tail-coverts un- 

 barred, or with bars very indistinct ; under parts never (?) speckled, 

 but chest more or less strongly tinged with brownish buff, and sides and 

 flanks extensively brown. Differing from T. p. palustris in decidedly 

 smaller size, duller brown of upper parts, and more extensively brown 

 under parts." 



Dr. Oberholser (1938) says that "it lives in the marshes and in the 

 high grass of the coast meadows, among the reeds, rushes, grasses, and 

 similar kinds of vegetation," which indicates that it is similar in all 

 its habits to the other southern coastal races. 



The measurements of only five eggs of the Louisiana marsh wren 

 are available. The eggs are in the United States National Museum. 

 The eggs showing the four extremes measure 16.0 by 12.4 and 15.3 by 

 11.5 millimeters. 



