C. STELLARIS : SHORT-BILLED MARSH WREN. lOI 



So far as New England is concerned, the geographi- 

 cal distribution of the Short-billed Marsh Wren is sub- 

 stantially the same as that of the foregoing species, its 

 near relative. It was described as Troglodytes brevi- 

 rostris by Nuttall in 183 1, upon specimens taken in 

 Massachusetts, which appears to be its normal north- 

 ern limit, as it is not recorded in New Hampshire and 

 Maine catalogues. Though less abundant than the 

 Long-billed is in its favorite 

 resorts, it is at the same time 

 rather more evenly distrib- 

 uted ; being not strictly con- 

 fined to reedy spots, it may be 

 seen in low moist meadows ; 

 the bird is, nevertheless, one 

 of somewhat irregular local fig. 25. — short-billed marsh 

 distribution. Its movements '^''"" (Natural size.) 



appear to correspond in time closely to those of the 

 Lonof-billed, and the nidification of the two is essen- 

 tially similar ; but no mud is used in the construction 

 of the nest, and this may be placed low down in a tus- 

 sock of grass instead of hanging to swaying rushes. 

 The eggs are entirely different, being pure white, un- 

 marked. They number 6 to 8, measuring about 0.54 

 in length by 0.44 in breadth, and are laid early in June. 

 It is singular that there should be such a difference in 

 the eggs of the two species of Marsh Wrens, the birds 

 themselves being so closely related. The case is one 

 of the few in which oological considerations are of 

 consequence in helping to establish generic and even 

 specific characters. 



