^""im"'] PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 629 



as the infallible doorplate of a wren's homestead when a bundle of 

 twigs was seen projecting from a cranny in some decrepit- looking stump, 

 a hollow rail, or a knot hole in an outhouse. 



On one occasion I was told that a wren had built its nest in the pocket of a coat 

 hung on the door of a ferryman's house on the Souris River. (Christy.) 



My records of the nesting of this bird show that it is rather a late breeder here. 

 In 1884 they are as follows: July 19, nest containing young well fledged; July 21, 

 found nest containing young half fledged ; August 5, another nest containing young 

 nearly fledged. These nests were all built just under the top of the river bank. 

 (Nash, inMSS.) 



251. Troglodytes hiemalis. Winter Wren. 



Summer resident in the thick woods to the eastward. Is common in 

 the wood country east of Winnipeg during the summer months (R. H. 

 Hunter). Portage la Prairie: Rare visitor; on May 16, 1885, I be- 

 lieve I saw this species in the woods near here ; the bird was feeding 

 on the ground, but when it saw me it disappeared in a large pile of 

 old logs and brush, out of which my dogs could not drive it ; on Octo- 

 ber 29, 1886, I identified it on the west bank of the Red River, about 

 5 miles south of Winnipeg (Nash). 



252. Cistothorus stellaris. Short-billed Marsh Wren. 



Summer resident of erratic distribution found in sloughs. Rather 

 plentiful at Pembina; undoubtedly breeding (Cones). Winnipeg: Sum- 

 mer resident; rare (Hine). Red River Valley : Summer resident; rare 

 (Hunter). Portage la Prairie : Rare; I have only taken it twice, Octo- 

 ber 3, 1884, near here, and October 7, 1886, about 7 miles south of 

 Winnipeg (Nash). Carberry, south slope of Riding Mountain, north 

 to near Cote's, abundant summer resident of the grassy (not the rushy) 

 sloughs (Thompson). Qu'Appelle : Common summer resident ; breeds ; 

 arrives May 15 (Guernsey). 



Soon after the 1st of May every little sedgy pool and slough in the 

 Assiuiboine Valley, from Carberry to Pelly, is vocal with the merry 

 chatter of this bird. 



Its ordinary note is like two stones being struck together about a 

 dozen times in succession ; the first strokes with a slight pause between 

 those following, with rapidly reduced interval until the last are all run 

 into each other. It may be suggested by the following syllables: 

 " Chap — clia]) — chap- chap, chap, chap, chap p pp-r-r-r.^^ 



About the 6th or 7th of May it begins to sing a simple song, which 

 naturally divides itself into three parts or bars : First, the " chapper- 

 ing" already described; second, in close connection a rather musical 

 refrain of equal length, somewhat like the first half of the baywing's 

 sunset song, but without its richness and with less of its power; and 

 third, the "chappering" again from beginning to end. These call 

 notes and songs may be heard on all sides for some time before a single 



