Voices of a New England Marsh 



5i 



LONG-BILLED MARSH WREN 

 (One-half natural size) 



the Rails they are given to 



their curious antics and uttering their guttural, gurgling songs among 

 the cat-tail flags where, a little later, numbers of their interesting 

 globular nests and chocolate brown eggs may be found by any one 

 provided with a good pair of wading 

 boots. The Short-billed Marsh Wrens 

 no longer inhabit the Fresh Pond marshes, 

 although they were common enough 

 there twenty-five years ago, breeding in 

 an extensive tract of rank but fine grass 

 which, like the birds themselves, has 

 since disappeared. They sing later into 

 the summer than the Long-bills, and 

 their notes, which are radically different, 

 may be roughly imitated by the syllables 

 chip, chip, shee-shee-shee, the first two 

 given distinctly and emphatically, the re- 

 maining three rapidly and in a low, 

 somewhat hissing tone. 



About the middle of May, or a few 

 days earlier in forward seasons, the Florida 

 Gallinules arrive (see frontispiece). Like 

 skulking among the grass or flags but at morning and evening we oc- 

 casionally see them swimming across pools or ditches, their brilliant scar- 

 let bills and frontal shields flashing in the level beams of the rising or de- 

 clining sun. They are noisy birds at this season and some of their cries 

 are second only to those of the Bittern in strength and grotesqueness. 

 One of their commonest vocal performances is a loud and prolonged outcry 



consisting of a succession of hen -like cucks, 

 given rather slowly and at nearly regular inter- 

 vals, and frequently ending with a harsh, drawling 

 ke'e-ar-r, kree-ar-r. They have other calls so 

 numerous, complex and variable that is is difficult 

 to describe them briefly and at the same time ade- 

 quately. Sometimes they give four or five loud, 

 harsh screams very like those of a hen in the 

 clutches of a Hawk, but uttered more slowly and 

 at wider intervals; sometimes a series of sounds 

 closely resembling those made by a brooding hen 

 when disturbed, but louder and sharper, suc- 

 ceeded by a number of lower, more querulous 

 cries intermingled with subdued clucking; occa- 

 sionally something which sounds like kr-r-r-r-r, kruc-kruc, krar-r; 

 kh-kh-kh-kh-kea-kea, delivered rapidly and falling in pitch towards the 



SHORT-BILLED MARSH WREN 

 (One-half natural size) 



