SHORT-BILLED MARSH WREN 365 



two or three rods perched on the tall sedge or the wool- 

 grass and making it, — probably the short-billed marsh 

 wren. It was peculiarly brisk and rasping, not at all 

 musical, the rhythm something like shar te dittle ittle 

 ittle ittle ittle, but the last part was drier or less liquid 

 than this implies. It was a small bird, quite dark 

 above and apparently plain ashy-white beneath, and 

 held its head up when it sang, and also commonly its 

 tail. It dropped into the deep sedge on our approach, 

 but did not go off, as we saw by the motion of the 

 grass ; then reappeared and uttered its brisk notes 

 quite near us, and, flying off, was lost in the sedge 

 again. 



[See also under General and Miscellaneous, p. 424. J 



