DELAWARE VALLEY ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB. 19 



of two specimens at Cape May, N. J., one on January 28, 1892, 

 by himself, and the other on January 29, 1892, by Mr. S. N. 

 Rhoads. With regard to these specimens Mr. Stone writeS: 

 ' ■ The two Cape May specimens were secured by Mr. Rhoads 

 and myself from the grass in open boggy ground, 100 yards 

 back from the sandhills. The bird flushed, took short flights 

 and dropped back again like the Savanna and Swamp Spar- 

 row which occurred abundantly on the same ground." It is 

 not improbable that a few individuals occasionally, if not regu- 

 larly, winter in the southern counties of New Jersey. That 

 they have not been found more often is undoubtedly due to the 

 fact that but little field work is done in the winter, and that the 

 birds in question are so small and secretive that they might be 

 easily overlooked even when quite common. 



In Chas. A. Shriner's "Birds of New Jersey," published in 

 1 897, I find the following: " The breeding location is similar to 

 that of the Long-billed Marsh Wren, but the birds are scarce in 

 New Jersey; a few winter in the southern part of the state; they 

 may breed occasionally, but they mostly occur during migra- 

 tion." As he does not give his authority for his winter record, 

 I think it likely that he has based his statement on Mr. Stone's 

 record.* 



I have been unable to find but one or two breeding records, 

 and several of these are open to doubt. 



The following is taken from a letter of Dr. Detwiller sent to 

 -Mr. Stone in reply to his query on this species: 



"In 1884, Mr. John Mack, of Bethlehem (Pa.), brought me 

 a nest of this bird which he found below Quakertown while 

 hunting Woodcock. The nest was a new structure, but con- 

 tained neither young nor eggs; he saw the birds. July, 1886, 

 I found a nest with eggs on Chain Dam Island, Lehigh River. 

 [Signed] John W. Detwiller. 



March 22, 1S93. 



As far as the finding of an empty nest is concerned, it could 

 hardly be identified with certainty even though the bird was 

 seen. I have found nests of paluslris that were indistinguishable 



* Tills supposition is correct. W. S. 



