TROGLODYTIDiE — THE WRENS. 161 



in the marshes of Connecticut Kiver, near Hartford ; and in Illinois Mr. Ken- 

 nicott found it among the long grasses bordering on the prairie sloughs. 



In Massachusetts I have occasionally met with their nests, but only late 

 in July, when the rank grass of the low meadows has been cut. These 

 were probably their second brood. The nest being built close to the ground, 

 and made of the living grasses externally, they are not distinguishable from 

 the unoccupied tussocks that surround them. 



Cistothorus palustris, Baird. 



LONG-BILLED MARSH WREN. 



Var. paluMris. 



CertJiia palustris, Wilson, Am. Orn. II, 1810, 58, pi. xii, fig. 4 (Penna). Troglodytes pa- 

 lustris, Bon. Obs. Wils. 1824, no. 66. — Aud. Orn. Biog. I, 1831, 500, pi. c. — Ib. 

 Birds Am. II, 1841, 135, pi. cxxiii. — Reinhardt, Ibis, 1861, 5 (Godthaab, Green- 

 land). Thryothoriis palustris, Nutt. Man. I, 1832, 439. Cistothorus {Telmatodytes) 

 palustris, Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 364 ; Rev. 147. — Sclater, Catal. 1861, 22. 

 Thryothorus arundinaccits, Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. XXXIV, 1819, 58 (not Trog. 

 aruiidinaceus, Vieillot). Thryothorus arundinaceus, Bon. Consp. 1850, 220. Tel- 

 matodytes arundinaceus, C,\b. Mns. Hein. 1850, 78. 



Hab. Eastern United States, from the Missouri River ; Greenland ? Reinhardt ; 

 Mexico, and Guatemala ? Cordova, Sclater. 



Var. paludicola. 



Cistothorus 2'>alustris, var. paludicola, Baird, Rev. Am. B. 1864, 148. Troglodytes palus- 

 tris, Newb. p. R. Rep. VI, iv, 1857, 80 (Pacific region). Cistothorus palustris, Cooper 

 & SucKLEY, P. R. Rep. X, II, 1859, 190 (W. T.) — Cooper, Orn. Cal. I. 1870, 75. 

 Certhia palustris, Loiin, Pr. R. Art. Inst. IV, 117. 



Sp. Char. Bill about as long as head. Tail and wing nearly equal. Upper parts of a 

 dull reddish-brown, except on the crown, interscapular region, outer surface of tertials, 

 and tail-feathers, which are almost black ; the first with a median patch like the ground- 

 color ; the second with short streaks of white, extending round on the sides of the neck ; 

 the third indented with brown ; the fourth barred with whitish, decreasing in amount 

 irom the outer feather, which is marked from the base to the fifth, where it is confined to 

 the tips; the two middle feathers above like the back, and barred throughout with dusky. 

 Beneath rather pure white, the sides and under tail-coverts of a lighter shade of brown than 

 the back ; a white streak over the eye. Length, 5..50 ; wing, 2.08; tail, 2.00. (1,454.) 



Hab. Pacific Coast and Middle Province of United States. 



In comparing a series of Marsh Wrens of eastern North America with 

 western, we find that they differ very appreciably in certain characteristics, 

 which may be expressed by the following diagnoses : — 



Bill lengtliened, equal to tarsus. Tail-coverts above and below either perfectly 

 plain, or with very obsolete bands, reduced to obscure .spots beneath. Bands 

 on tail broken ; scarcely appreciable on the middle feathers . . v&v. palustris. 



Bill shorter than tarsus. Tail-coverts distinctly banded all across. Bands on tail 



quite distinct ; appreciable on the central feathers . . . . v&v. paludicola. 

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