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502 MARSH WREN. 



pressed, covered anteriorly with six scutella, posteriorly with a long 

 plate, forming an acute edge ; toes scutellate above, the second and 

 fourth nearly equal, the hind toe almost equal to the middle one, the 

 third and fourth united as far as the second joint ; claws rather long, 

 slender, acute, arched, much compressed. 



Plumage soft, tufty, slightly glossed. No bristly feathers about the 

 bill. Wings short, broad, rounded: first quill half the length of the 

 second, which is very httle shorter than the third and fourth. Tail of 

 ordinary length, much rounded, of twelve rounded feathers. 



Bill dark brown above, yellow beneath. Iris hazel. Feet light brown. 

 The general colour of the upper parts is dark brown, the sides of the 

 head deeper, the fore part of the back brownish-black, longitudinally 

 streaked with white, the quills externally margined with lighter brown, 

 the tail barred with dark brown. A white line over the eye, extending 

 down the neck ; the sides of the latter mottled with light brown and 

 grey ; the under parts of a silvery greyish-white ; the abdominal feathers 

 and under tail-coverts tipped with brown. 



Length 5 inches, extent of wings 6i ; bill along the ridge nearly JL, 

 along the gap | ; tarsus |, middle toe nearly |. 



Adult Female. Plate C. Fig. 2, 3. 



The female differs very little in external appearance from the male. 

 The black of the back is less deep, and the white lines are less conspicu- 

 ous ; the under parts, also, are of a duller white. 



