96 THE NATURALIST'S GUIDE. 



sides, abdomen, and under tail-coverts. Middle of breast, 

 sometimes, and sides, faintly and irregularly barred with 

 transverse lines of pale brown. During autumn and winter 

 this pale brown of the sides, abdomen, and under tail-cov- 

 erts, becomes quite rufous, and the bars on the sides much 

 more distinct. Abdomen and under tail-coverts more regu- 

 larly and distinctly barred transversely with dark brown ; 

 eyes brown. Feet varying from brown to paler, sometimes 

 almost white. In this stage it is the T. Americanus of 

 authors. 



In younger stages the plumage differs from this in hav- 

 ing the upper parts paler, with the bars on the middle of 

 the back almost, and in some specimens quite, obsolete. 

 The bars on the wings are not as distinct, and there are 

 on the ends of the wing-coverts small triangular spots of 

 dirty white. There is generally a dirty-white superciliary 

 stripe over the eye. The middle of the breast is without 

 the faint barrings. The under mandible of the bill is 

 sometimes pale brown the whole length. This is the T. 

 aedon of authors.* 



The first stage is somewhat uncommon, while the inter- 

 mediate and the last are of more general occurrence. 



It will be seen by the table, that no rule can be fixed 

 where color can be made to coincide with size. 



20. Anorthura hyemalis, RENNIE. Winter Wren. 

 Bare in this section during the migrations. I have seen it 

 in October and in April. I have never met with it in 

 winter, and doubt if it occurs during that season. I found 

 it very abundant in Oxford County, Maine, from October 

 12th to 22d, when it disappeared. Frequents low bushes 

 by the roadside and along stone walls. It is shy, and diffi- 

 cult to approach while it is in sight, as upon the appear- 

 ance of man it immediately hides. 



21. CistOthoniS stellaris, CAB. Long-billed Marsh 



* Occasionally the young-of-the-year assume the darker plumage of the 

 adult ; this was the case with No. 2970. 



