SONG-BIRDS. "Wrens 



Eggs : 5-8, pure white, finely dotted with purple and brown. 

 Bange : Eastern North America generally, wintering from Massachu- 

 setts southward. 



The Winter Wren is one of the group of tiny birds that 

 enliven December, January, and February. It is more 

 common than it appears to be, for it is the most retiring 

 and shy of its family. Though it will sometimes nest near 

 dwellings, it prefers seclusion, and especially the proximity 

 to running water. Mr. Otto Boehr writes of the breeding- 

 habits of this Wren in Sullivan County, Penn. : " We found 

 his nest but once. It was built on the side of a mossy log 

 that laid across a small run in a dark, rocky place. The nest 

 was composed entirely of moss, with the entrance at one 

 side near the bottom ; it contained six eggs, which resem- 

 bled those of the Chickadee. The eggs were fresh ; time, 

 July 4." 



Burroughs considers that its song is surpassed by very 

 few, being of a gushing, lyrical character, uniting brilliancy 

 and plaintiveness. 



Short-billed Marsh Wren: Cistothorus stellaris. 



Length : 4.50 inches. 



Male and Female : Above brown. Crown and part of back streaked 

 with black and white. Wings and tail barred, White line over 

 eye. White beneath, washed with rusty across breast and 

 along sides. Very short bill, dark above, light below; feet 

 brown. 



Song : " 'Che, 'chet, de-de-de-de-de ! " 



Season : Early May to late September. 



Breeds : In all but most southerly parts of its range. 



Nest : Among the grasses of marshy meadows ; it is made of grass and 

 always softly lined ; closed over the top, with the entrance at 

 one side. It may be either suspended between rushes, or be 

 placed on the ground in a tussock, away from the water. 



Eggs : 6-9, pure white. 



Mange : Eastern United States and southern British Provinces, west 

 to the Plains. Winters in the Gulf States and southward. 



The Short-billed Marsh Wren is a bird of moist meadows 

 and reedy places. As a summer visitor it is erratic and 



85 ' 



