650 LONG-BILLED MARSH WREN 



thicket. These bird-^ must conceal their nests very carefully ; for, althougli T am certaia 

 that I have many times been within a few yards of their homes, I have filled to discover 

 any after the most thorough search. The Winter Wi'ens pass Massachusetts daring the 

 migrations in October and April ; they are very rare in Florida and T have never met 

 withtliem there, but Mr. Boardman informs me that lie lias seen them on two occasions. 



GENUS. CISTOTHORUS. THE MARSH WRENS. 



Gen. Ch. Feet proportioaately large, bat the tarsus is sliDi-ter than the midille toe and cbiw. Back, 

 conspicuously streaked with white. The species included in this j^enus are quite small birds, wliich inhabit 

 the grasses or reeds of fresh water marshes. 



CSSTOTHOBUS PALUSTRSS. 

 LoTig-billed Marsh Wren. 



Cistothorus palustris Baird, Birds of North America, 1858, oiJi 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sr. Ch. Size, small. Form, slender. Bill, equal in length to the head, quite slender. Stennim, 

 somewhat stoutly built. Tongue, tliin, narrow and acuminate, ciliated for one-third of the terininal length. 

 These cilia form a bififl tuft at the enrl. and two on each side about five-hundredths of an inch nearer the 

 base. Color. Adult. Above, light reddish brown, with the middle of the back and sides nf the top of the 

 head, black, which is darkest on the back ; this patch on the back is triangular in firm being bi'oadest be- 

 tween the shoulders ; there is a white line in the center of many of the feathcn. There is also a superciliary 

 stripe of white which extends well down on the sides of the neck. The wings and tail arc ilark brown barred 

 with a color similar to that of the back. Beneath, pure white with the sides and flanks, reddish brown. 

 There is sometimes a buff suffusion on the breast. Lores and ear coverts dusky. The shoulders are streaked 

 with white. Under wing coverts, white ; under tail coverts white, barred with brown and I'uf jus. The 

 young, even in the nesting plumage, arc scarcely different from the adult excepting that there are fewer 

 "streaks of white on the back. Sexes, similar. Neck, feet and biU, brown, the latter lighter at the ba^e of 

 the lower mandible. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



The Long-billerl Marsh Wrens may be at once distinguished from the Short-billeil by their larger size 

 and longer bill. They are distributed throughout temperate Eastern North America during the breeding 

 season, wintering in the Southern States. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements often specimens. Length, 5.04 ; sfcretcli, (115 ; wing. 2.07 : tail, 1.(1/ ; bill. .57 ; 

 tarsus, .(18. Longest specimen, 5.25 ; greatest extent of wings, 7.00 : longest wing, 2 25 ; tail, l.s ) ; hill, 

 .(iO; tarsus, .75. Shortest specimen, 1. 12 : smallest extent of wings, 5.00: shortest wing, 1.75 ; tail, 1.48: 

 bill, .45 : tarsus, .GO. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nests, built in grass, reeds or rarely on bushes, and formed of coarse grass or of weeds wliich are lient 

 and woven into the form of a hollow globe, with a hole fjr an entrance at the si le. They are lined with fine 

 grasses and the nests of spiders. Dimensions: external diameter, 7 inches : internal, 3 inches. EfiGS, six to 

 nine in number, usually five, however, oval in form, pale brown in color, spitted and blotclierl irregularly with 

 darker brown ; sometimes the spots are very minute farming a dark washing over the entire surfxce. On othe.- 

 eggs thev become confluent and form rings around the larger ends. Dimensions, from .(iO by ..50 to .70 by 

 .55. 



