ONTARIO. 



Nest, similar to that of the Long-billed species, but sometimes placed 

 near the ground ; no mud used in the structure. 



Eggs, 6 to 8 ; pure white, unspotted, 



Never having happened to meet with the Short-billed Marsh 

 Wren in any of my excursions, I consider it to be either locally 

 distributed or less abundant than the Long- billed species, which 

 is common in all the marshes in Southern Ontario. 



Throughout Northern New England the Short-billed species 

 is a common summer resident, and Mr, Seton speaks of it as 

 being " abundant all over " in Western Manitoba. It is prob- 

 able therefore that it is a summer resident in Ontario, but so 

 few people follow these little birds into their marshy haunts 

 that, at present, their history here is somewhat obscure. Mr. 

 Saunders says it is found in the marshes along the River St. 

 Clair, and he has a set of eggs which were taken in a marsh 

 near Toronto, As the number of collectors increase we shall, 

 no doubt, learn more about these retiring little birds. 



SUBGENUS TELMATODYTES CABANIS. 



287. CISTOTHORUS PALUSTRIS (Wiis.). 7^5. 

 Long-billed Marsh Wren. 



Dark brown above, crown and middle of the back blackish, nearly everywhere 

 conspicuoiisly streaked with white; below buffy- white, shading into pale brown 

 on the sides and behind ; wings and tail barred with blackish and light brown ; 

 flanks barred with dusky ; throat and middle of belly whitish. Length, 4^ ; 

 wing and tail, about if ; bill, not long and very slender ; tarsus, middle toe 

 and claw, together i. 



HAB. Southern British America and the United States, south in winter 

 to Guatemala. 



Nest, a large globular mass of coarse grass and rushes loosely laced 

 together, sometimes plastered with mud and fastened to the reeds ; warmly 

 lined with fine soft grass ; entrance by a hole in one side. 



Eggs, 6 to 10 ; variable in shade, but usually so thickly spotted with 

 chocolate-brown as to appear uniformly of that color. 



A common summer resident found in suitable places through- 

 out Ontario. Near Hamilton it breeds in all the inlets around 



289 



