WRENS. 77 



they are shy, and, to use a sportsman's expression, " lie very 

 close." They can also creep about and through the reeds as 

 silently and actively as a mouse. 



d. The Meadow Wrens have a harsh unpleasant chatter, 

 but also a simple and yet very pleasant song, which reminds 

 one of the songs of certain Sparrows, though often character- 

 ized by a peculiar Wren-trill. 



B. PALUSTRis. 41 Marsh Wren. Long-billed Marsh Wren. 

 Less common in Massachusetts than the preceding species.* 



a. 5 5 J inches long. Above, brown. Below, white ; sides 

 shaded with brown. Tail, dusky-barred. Wings and under 

 tail-coverts, slightly marked. Interscapulars and crown, quite 

 or nearly black ; the former white-streaked. Superciliary line, 

 white. 



b. The nest is suspended among the reeds or long grass, or 

 is built in a bush in marshes. It " is formed outwardly of wet 

 rushes mixed with mud, well intertwisted, and fashioned into 

 the form of a cocoa-nut. A small hole is left two thirds up, 

 for entrance, the upper edge of which projects. . . . The inside 

 is lined with fine soft grass, and sometimes feathers. . . ." 

 (Wilson.) The eggs are usually six,f and are laid in early 

 June. They are light (reddish ?) chocolate brown, so finely 

 marked with a darker shade as to appear, from a distance, 

 uniformly dark, and average about .58 X .45 of an inch. 



c. The Marsh Wrens are not to be found in northern 

 New England, and in Massachusetts are even less common 

 than the Meadow Wrens, to whom they are very closely allied 

 in their habits. They frequent a few of both the salt-water 

 and fresh-water marshes in this State, from the middle of May 

 until the latter part of August. They spend their time in pro- 



41 By some authors placed in the sive marshes on or near the coast or 



genus Telmatodytes (considered by Baird bordering sluggish streams. Of late 



a subgenus). years a few birds have been found reg- 



* Not known to occur regularly any- ularly each winter in the Fresh Pond 



where north of Massachusetts, but in swamps at Cambridge. W. B. 



the eastern part of this State and to the t Sets of six eggs are exceptional, 



southward an abundant summer resi- although by no means rare. The usual 



dent, breeding by hundreds or even number is five. W. B. 

 thousands in some of the more exten- 



