156 



OKNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 15-No. 10 



As before remarked, tlie variation in the 

 eggs of this bird is very sliglit. The ground 

 color is very constant in its tint, althongh 

 some sets have a somewliat brighter hue than 

 otliers. The typical egg is evenly covered all 

 over tlie surface with minute specks of cinna- 

 mon-rufous, but in a few sets the markings 

 are fewer in number and more thickly grouped 

 around the larger ends than on the other parts 

 of the eggs. In a few specimens tliere are 

 larger spots of a darker color — in some cases 

 burnt umber — but this is apparently a rare 

 type of markings for the eggs of this species. 



,/. P. N. 



Nesting of the Short-Billed Marsh 

 Wren. 



Not having seen anything in the O. & O. 

 about the yhort-billed Marsh Wren (Ci.sto- 

 tlidrnti sttllaris) I thought it might.be of inter- 

 est to some of its readers to liear my experience 

 with them. 



In a narrow belt of thick, wild grass near the 

 edge of a marshy i)iece of ground, having a 

 small stream running througli the centre 

 covered with a dense growtli of cattail Hags 

 with now and then a bunch of willows, is 

 where I fii'st saw the Short-billed Marsh 

 Wren and afterwards found their nests. Al- 

 tlu)ugh I have done considerable collecting in 

 the same locality for the past few years I have 

 never seen or heard one of tliel)irds there until 

 this year, and I think tliey have not bei'u there 

 before. 



On June 3d I saw but one i>air tliere, and 

 others came at different tinu's until (ui .luly 

 (ith there were four pairs in the marsh. 



( )n June 12th there was a nest completed, 

 and supposing there would be eggs laid in it I 

 left it, and afterwards found it to be nothing 

 but a duplicate nest. On tlie 2Ud 1 found a 

 nest in the same vicinity containing some i)ieces 

 of shells, the eggs having been broken in some 

 way. 



On Jidy (ith 1 collected two sets of their 

 eggs, one of three fresh ones — an incomplete 

 set. These were within a few yards of where 

 I found the nest containing the broUen ones, 

 and I think they were laid by the sanu; bird. 

 In the other set there were seven, with incuba- 

 tion advanced. 



I also found two nests of another pair, and 

 a week later they had another n(^st completed, 

 and on the 2()th I went there and (•( iild neither 

 see nor liear a wren in tlie marsli. I \v;is there 



again afterwards and could find none, so i 

 supposed they had all left, but on Aug. 13th my 

 father, in comi)any with a young man (who is 

 interested in birds), being near there thought 

 he would show him some of their nests, so he 

 found one, and supposing it to be empty stuck 

 his finger into the entrance and broke one egg 

 out of a set of six that it contained, the re- 

 mainder of which he got out, and although 

 they were badly incubated I saved them all 

 right. 



The nests were built in the wild grass about 

 one and one half feet high, being about eight 

 or ten inches from the top of the grass. 

 They are globular in shape with a small hole 

 in one side for an entrance. The inner nest 

 is composed of the dead blades of wild grass, 

 lined with cattail down, having the green 

 grass woven around it so as to conceal the dry 

 grass of the nest, making them ditticult to find. 



Like their Long-billed cousin they build 

 four or five duplicate nests. The duplicates 

 are not as nicely built as the ones containing 

 eggs, and have none of the soft downy lining 

 of the others. 1 usually found the male bird 

 in some bush within a few lods of the nests, 

 singing his song of '•////', cJiip, per rlilch\ 

 cJiick, di'ick iiitil chip, < fiip^ ''lir-r-r-r, uttered 

 distinctly. 



The stomach of a male that I collected con- 

 tained numerous small insects. 



The eggs are pure white, unmarked; set one 

 are neiirly elliptical in shnpe, and mensure ns 

 follows: .03 X .47, .('<■'> x .4() and A):) x .48. Set 

 two are of the usual shape, and measure 

 .02X.47, .(iOx.4S, .r)()x.47, .61X.47, .()4x.48, 

 .()() X .48 and .til X .4!». .Set three are shaped 

 like set two and measure .()0x.46, ..58 x .44, 

 ..59x .45, .61 x.4(i and .(il x .4.5. 



Although Davie says they are very fragile, 1 

 only found one egg in the lot that seemed any 

 more so tlian is usual am-'ug eggs of their 

 size. E. ir. ])tirfee. 



Wavne Co., Midi. 



A List of the Birds of Minnesota. 



The list which ajijieared under this he:id in 

 Septendjer number should linve been signed 

 by Oeorge G. Cantwell, Colorado ^prings, 

 Col. Editor. 



American Raven in Connecticut. 



On Si'pteiiiliei- IS, ISIH), a six-cimen of the 

 Anu'iiciiii biiveii was taken at this jilace. 



(). ,f. Ildl/l-IKdU. 



8o. Manchester. Cenn. 



