LONG-BILLED MAESH WREN. 397 



history here is somewhat concealed. Mr. Saunders says it is found 

 in the marshes along the River St. Clair, and he has a set of eggs 

 which were taken in a marsh near Toronto. 



It is found at certain places in Michigan, also in Minnesota, and 

 is abundant in the Red River Valley. At Pembina, Dr. Coues 

 found it to be " erratic in distribution." It is observed in Mani- 

 toba, but Mr. White has not seen it near Ottawa, and I have not yet 

 found it in Southern Ontario, from which it would appear that it is 

 a western species, and irregular in distribution. 



Subgenus TELMATODYTES Cabanis. 

 CISTOTHORUS PALUSTRIS (Wils.). 



301. Long-billed Marsh Wren. (725) 



Above, clear brown, unbarred ; back, with a black patch, containing distinct 

 white streaks ; crown, brownish-black ; superciliary line to nape, white ; wings, 

 not noticeably ])arred, but webs of inner secondaries, blackish; tail, brown, 

 dusky barred. Below, dull white, often quite pure, the sides alone brownish 

 washed, and under tail coverts somewhat varied. Length, 4^-o4; wing, about 

 2 ; tail, less ; tarsus, |-§ ; bill, h or more. 



Hab. — Southern British America and the United States, south in winter to 

 Guatemala. 



Nest, a large glol)ular mass of coarse grass and rushes loosely laced together, 

 sometimes plastered with mud and fastened to the reeds, warmly lined with 

 fine, soft grass ; entrance by a hole in one side. 



Eggs, six to ten, variable in shade, but usually so tliickly spotted with 

 chocolate-brown as to appear uniformly of that color. 



The Long-billed Marsh Wren is a common summer resident, found 

 in suitable places throughout Ontario. Near Hamilton it breeds in 

 all the inlets around the Bay, and is seen from the beginning of May 

 till the end of August, climbing, hopping, and swaying to and fro 

 among the reeds in every conceivable posture. In the spring it 

 appears to be constantly under great nervous excitement, which it 

 works off in nest-building, often constructing two or three when 

 only one is required. So large a number of nests, when observed, 

 gives the impression that the birds breed in colonies, but I have not 

 noticed this to be the case. All the nests I have seen have been so 

 placed that they could only be reached by wading or in a boat, 

 and sometimes they were among the reeds on a quaking bog where 

 approach was impossible. 



