Field Notes 103 



These are the first records for Denver, judging by published 

 records, and the writer's experience; the Denver List, mentioned 

 above, gave 187 species and subspecies. The present additions swell 

 the list to 199. 



W. H. Bergtold, 



1159 Race Street, Denver, Colo. 



THE LONG-BILLED MARSH WRENS OF NEBRASKA 



Long-billed Marsh Wrens {Telmatodytes palustris subspp) oc- 

 cur very commonly in suitable localities over practically the whole 

 of Nebraska, at least as migrants. At Lincoln they arrive in early 

 to middle April (April 6, 1913; April 14, 1917), become numerous 

 during latter April and early May, and pass on by the middle of 

 May (May 12, 1918; May 13, 1917). Early in September they again 

 appear (Sept. 2, 1919; Sept. 8, 1908), become numerous later in that 

 month, and then mostly pass on, a few lingering until late October 

 (Oct. 23, 1909). This status is typical for this species over the 

 greater part of southern Nebraska, except that in very favorable 

 localities a pair may now and then remain to nest (cf. Tout, Proc. 

 N. 0. U., ii, p. 45). In the marshy tracts along the Missouri River 

 these birds nest more commonly, and have been found occasionally 

 nesting near Omaha in June and July (vide Samuel Aughey, I. S. 

 Trostler, L. Skow, etc.). About many of the lakes of the Sand- 

 hill Region of Nebraska they liow nest abundantly (cf. J. S. Hun- 

 ter, Proc. N. 0. v., ii, p. 83), and formerly did so much farther to 

 the eastward, even to Holt County. 



When Ridgway described T. p. iliacus, the Prairie Marsh Wren, 

 in 1903, largely restricting the typical Long-billed Marsh Wren, 

 T. p. palustris, to the region east of the Alleghenies, our Nebraska 

 Long-billed Marsh Wrens were, of course, all referred in 1904 to the 

 newly differentiated form (Prelim. Rev. Birds Nebraska, p. 110). 



But as specimens of migrating Long-billed Marsh Wrens were 

 collected at Lincoln from time to time, it became evident that two 

 distinct forms were passing through this locality each spring and 

 fall. The less common of these two forms, apparently present for 

 only a comparatively short period in April and September (April 

 20-24; Sept. 12-28), has the sides of the back, rump and upper tail 

 coverts ochraceous tawny or russet, with the sides and flanks cin- 

 namon buff, and obviously represents T. p. iliacus Ridgway. But 

 the more common form has the sides of the back, rump and upper 

 tail coverts darker and less reddish, about cinnamon brown, and 

 the sides and flanks deep wood brown, thus agreeing in coloration 

 with T.p. palustris (Wilson). This form is known to arrive in latter 

 April and lingers into May, then reappears in early September and 

 remains until late October or early November (April 29-May 6; 

 Sept. 8-Oct. 23, or Nov. 2). 



However, since Ridgway in 1904 gave the range of T. p. palustris 



