14 Bulletin 8 



a song new to me and of such quality that I at once knew that it must 

 be that of the wren in question. These birds were fairly common in 

 this swamp. They were usually carefully concealed and were singing 

 while clinging to some swaying bit of grass. When one bird had been 

 located and its habits noted, the others were not so difficult to find. 

 This nest discovered on a. previous expedition was found to be deserted 

 and so was taken for the Hanover collection. It is stated that this 

 wren has the habit of building several nests in one season and that 

 this is done for purposes of protection. This nest, globular in shape, 

 entirely of old dried sedges and grasses lined with dry leaves and a 

 little plant down, was only about two feet from the ground and fas- 

 tened to a tussock of growing sedges, undoubtedly some species of 

 carex, which my botanical friends would recognize. 



This wren is, I believe, rather rare throughout New England, and 

 so far as I know this is the first record of the bird for Vermont. It 

 has nested in this same swamp for two years. The entire upper parts 

 of this wren are streaked with white, black, and buff, wing and tail 

 coverts are barred, the under parts unbarred and white. The call 

 notes, says Seton, are like the sound of two tiny pebbles struck to- 

 gether. The song has the same quality as the call notes. 



Later in the season the swamp was visited by others, a specimen 

 of the short-billed marsh wren was taken and placed in the Museum at 

 Hanover, so that now there is no question as to the authenticity of 

 the bird. 



In this same swamp, the . swamp sparrow also was common. A 

 song unfamiliar to us all was frequently heard, and the bird finally 

 located with much difficulty. This bird was a sparrow without doubt 

 and after considerable study it was verified as the rare Henslow's 

 sparrow. 



BIRDS OF THE WEST INDIES 



Josephine S. Brown, Bristol 



Birds of the West Indies was the name I gave my paper, but I 

 think a more appropriate title would have been, Scarcity of Birds in 

 the West Indies. It is lamentably true that there are few song birds 

 in that beautiful tropical country. 



