59 



each bird kept close to some particular spot in the marsh, 

 soon returning there if frightened away, and on May 4 I 

 found three fresh, but empty nests, in a region frequented 

 by one bird, and at another spot a single incomplete nest. 

 On May 6 I found four more fresh but empty nests near the 

 first three, and have no doubt all were made by the same 

 bird. No females were taken or seen during my stay, and 

 as with T, palustris also I have found these nests before the 

 females are present in any number, I am inclined to suspect 

 they are built chiefly by the males. 



These nests were similar to those of T. palustris, but 

 smaller, unlined and less compact, and were situated about 

 one foot from the ground against the stalks of the coarse 

 cylindrical rushes. None of them contained eggs when I 

 left on May 12, and I asked Mr. J. B. Etheridge, manager 

 of the Pea Island Club, to watch them for me. On June 

 10 he wrote me " I found to-day a Marian's Marsh Wren's 

 nest with two eggs in it. I send you the eggs and nest. . . . 

 The nests that you found I have been watching, but the 

 birds failed to lay." Unfortunately this nest and eggs 

 arrived after I had gone to North Dakota, and the eggs are 

 consequently unblown. On June 23, 1903, Mr. Etheridge 

 collected for me two other nests of this subspecies contain- 

 ing four and five eggs. The set of five was advanced in 

 incubation and as Mr. Etheridge wrote me the other nest 

 had contained four eggs for several days, both may be con- 

 sidered full sets. 



The three nests are similar to those of T. palustris^ but 

 slightly smaller, measuring about 6 inches in height by 4 in 

 breadth, and are loosely woven of coarse grass and rushes 

 and lined, in two instances, with a few feathers. The eggs 

 are similar to those of the Long-billed Marsh Wren, having a 

 ground tint of fawn-color, finely speckled with drab in the 

 set of four, and coarsely spotted with. Mars-brown and choco- 

 late on the others, these markings in all becoming confluent 

 toward the larger end. 



