304 THE TULE WREN. • 



Recognition Marks. — I'ygniy size ; brownish culoratiun ; rccd-liaunting liabits 

 and siiutlL-ring nolo distinctive. 



Nesting. — Xcst: shaped hkc a ct)Coantit, uf reeds and grasses, Hnetl with 

 plant-down, and with entrance in side; placed two or tiiree feet high in reeds, 

 rarely, high in hnshes of swamp. Eijys: 5 or 6, ground-color grayish brown bnt 

 si) heavily dotted and clouded with varying shades of chocolate and nialxjgany 

 as to be tret|uently obscured. .A v. size .67 x .52 (17 .\ 1^.2). Season: last week 

 in March to July; two broods. 



General Range. — Pacific Coast district from IJritish Columbia south during 

 migration to niotitli i<i C'olorado River and extremity of Lower California. 



Range in VN'ashington.^Resident in suitable localities west of Cascades. 



Authorities. — L'istothorus (Telmatodxlesj t<alustris Cab. Baird, Rep. I'ac. 

 R. R. Surv. .Xll. pt. II.. 1858. J). 364. i)art". C&S. L-'. Ra. Kk. B. E. 



Specimens.— I . of W. 1".. I'rov. 



W'lllCX llie February sun waves iiis golden baton over the marshes 

 of western \\'ashingtt)n, they yield up a chorus of wren song which is 

 exceeded only by that of the frogs. The frogs, to be sure, have the ad- 

 vantage, in tiiat their choral ofTering has greater carrying power; but the 

 Wrens at close (piarters leave you in no doubt that the palm belongs to 

 tlieni. One hesitates to call the medley of clicking, buzzing, and sputter- 

 ing, which welters in the reeds, music; but if one succeeds in catching sight 

 of a Tule Wren, holding on for dear life to a cat-tail stem, and vibrating like 

 a drill-chuck with the etTort of his impassioneil lUter.ince. lie feels sure that 

 music is at least intended. 



Wrens are ever busy Ixdies. and if they c<iuld not sing or chatter, or at 

 least scold, they surely would exjilode. It is a marvel, too. that they fmd so 

 much to interest them in mere reeds, now green, now brown, set alxive a f<x)t 

 or so of stagnant water. Rut. bless you! Do not waste your symiiatliies u]>on 

 them. They have neighbors. — Red-wings. Yellow -throats, and the like — 

 and is it not the gossips of the little village who are most exercised over their 

 neighlKDrs' affairs? 



It .seems probal)le that our Tide Wrens are largely resident. Certainly 

 they are abundant in the more sheltered marshes in winter; ami. since the 

 species does not extend very far northward, it is jxxssihly not too much to 

 assume that our Ijirds live and die in a single swamp. They are, as a consc- 

 (|uence. very much mixed up on their seasons, and I have heard a swamp in 

 full song in Xovembcr. 



Xesling in the South Tacoma swamp, where several scores at least may l>e 

 found. In-gins the last week in March, and full sets of eggs may certainly be 

 found by the first week in .April. Rut "decoys" are, of course, the rule. In a 

 dav Mr. Bowles found fifty-three nests, only three of which held eggs or 

 voung. -At least two broods are raised in a season. 



The eggs, usuallv five or six in number, are so overlaid with tiny dots as 



