Vol. XIV 
: St CPU a es 
1897 OBERHOLSER on a New Marsh Wren. 195 
than middle toe without claw; and the wings and tail also average 
somewhat less. . 
The most conspicuous characters which separate this subspecies 
from palustris are the presence of regular and distinct bars on the 
tail-coverts and middle rectrices; these differences, particularly 
the latter, being not, however, entirely constant. The bill of 
paludicola is much shorter than that of palustris; the wings and 
tail average somewhat longer. The Pacific Coast form is also 
usually much tinged with brownish below, instead of being nearly 
pure white as in palustris. The upper parts, though almost as 
dark, are more sooty in color, and while there exists considerable 
individual variation in the ratio of the light and dark areas on the 
pileum, yet in none of the specimens is the dark portion so nearly 
black as in normal examples of Aalustres. 
One Long-billed Marsh Wren from Fort Tejon, Calif., and 
three obtained on the Colorado River, in Sonora, by the 
naturalists of the Mexican Boundary Commission, are quite 
typical of paludicola, but are evidently migrants. 
Specimens of Cistothorus palustris paludicola from the following 
localities have been examined, those taken in the breeding season 
being designated by an asterisk : 
Washington. — Shoalwater Bay. 
California. — Marin County; Humboldt Bay; Fort Tejon; San Fran- 
cisco; Stockton.* 
Sonora. — Colorado River, opposite mouth of Rio Hardy. 
The difficulties attending identification of the western forms of 
the Long-billed Marsh Wren have induced the present detailed 
treatment of the subject. These difficulties, as is so often the 
case with subspecies, consist in the more or less inconstancy of 
many of the characters assigned. Specimens frequently occur 
which do not present all the characters of a particular race; 
and since such specimens must be identified by the average of 
characters presented, the necessity for very complete diagnoses 
becomes at once apparent. 
The writer wishes to express to Dr. C. Hart Merriam and to 
Dr. E. A Mearns his appreciation of their kindness in regard to 
the loan of specimens; and for the same and other courtesies he 
