aad OBERHOLSER on a New Marsh Wren. IgI 
feathers, and in its generally barred upper and lower tail-coverts. 
Though none of these characters are entirely constant, they 
nevertheless furnish good average distinctions. ‘The first men- 
tioned prevails in 67 per cent ; that of barred upper tail-coverts in 
71 per cent; and the lower tail-coverts are transversely marked 
in go per cent of the specimens examined, although in many cases 
the barring, while perfectly evident, is not blackish, but buff. The 
lower parts in C. fp. plesius are commonly rather grayer and less 
purely white than in falustris. The bill averages considerably 
shorter, the wings and tail somewhat longer. The flanks and 
upper parts, including the sides of neck and head, are much paler 
and usually somewhat more grayish, this affecting chiefly the 
brown portions of the plumage. In the shade of these parts fall 
specimens of A/esius are very close to some spring and summer 
examples of falustris, but can usually by the other characters be 
easily distinguished. Comparison of specimens taken at corre- 
sponding seasons, however, makes at once evident the differences 
between the two forms. ‘The lighter brown of the central portion 
of the pileum averages much paler and more extensive in fpleszus 
than in palustris. There are among the specimens examined none 
of the latter which have the lighter brown so pale or so extensive 
as seen in some of the former; and none of this western race have 
the dark lateral stripes so intense in color as have many examples 
of the eastern bird. 
The most noticeable character which separates C. fp. plestus from 
paludicola is the much paler color of both the upper and lower 
parts, this difference being usually most apparent on the flanks, 
upper surface of the wings, scapulars, lower back andrump. The 
wings, tail and bill average somewhat longer; and the total 
length of culmen is decidedly longer than middle toe without claw, 
which is not the case with paludicola. So far as is indicated by 
the specimens examined, the bars on the middle rectrices of Aleszus 
average broader and somewhat more regular than in paludicola. 
The area of light brown on the crown averages very much more 
extensive than in pa/udico/a, often reducing to mere lateral stripes 
the dark brown or blackish color. This difference, as well as the 
paler general color of the birds from the western interior, was 
