the entire surface is thickly covered 

 with very small dots, so fine as scarcely 

 to be seen. The eggs are quite small, 

 measuring from three-fifths to three- 

 quarters of an inch in length. The 

 young leave the nest about the middle 

 of June. A second brood is frequently 

 raised. 



The Long-billed Marsh Wren is a 

 summer resident in the northern part 

 of the United States arriving early in 

 April and leaving for the south again 

 in September. It breeds throughout 

 its range, a large number remaining in 

 the regions of their winter residence 

 while the larger body move northward 

 in migration. The building site, as well 

 as the feeding ground, is invariably a 

 marshy or swampy region where reeds, 

 cat-tails and coarse grasses are abun- 

 dant. In such a locality they will gather 

 in large numbers to build their nests. 

 The food of this httle Wren consists 

 principally of insects and insect larvae. 

 A favorite article of diet is a small green 

 grasshopper that, lives among the reeds. 



The song of this Marsh Wren is 

 peculiar, resembling, as Wilson says, "a 

 low crackling sound, somewhat similar 

 to that produced by air-bubbles forcing 

 their way through mud or boggy 

 ground when trod upon." This changes 

 to a harsh scriping note when the bird 

 is disturbed. The most remarkable fact 

 about this song is that such a volume 

 of sound could proceed from such a 

 diminutive bird. 



The fact that so many nests are 

 built in the same season is attributed 

 to the bird's instinct for protection. It 

 is very noticeable when one is searching 

 for the eggs of this species, that the 

 male tries to decoy the intruder to an 

 empty nest, thus diverting, many times, 

 the attention of the collector from the 

 nest occupied by the female. This 

 would seem to be bordering on the line 

 of bird reason, because the bird must 

 realize that if it succeeds in turning 

 attention from the real nest, its home 

 is safe from depredation. However this 

 may be, the fact is very interesting and 

 very instructive. 



The Long-billed Marsh Wren is wide- 

 ly distributed, ranging throughout the 

 eastern United States, north to Massa- 

 chusetts, Ontario and southern Mani- 

 toba and wintering in the Gulf States 

 and eastern Mexico. It has been known 

 to winter locally as far north as south- 

 ern New England. 



A related bird, the short-billed marsh 

 wren, is frequently found associated 

 with the Long^billed Marsh Wren, al- 

 though it is much shier and difficult to 

 approach, seeming to fear man more 

 than its longer-billed relative. The short- 

 billed species is seldom observed in 

 the vicinity of salt water, seeming to 

 prefer the meadows and marshes near 

 fresh water. The distribution of this 

 species does not differ materially from 

 that of the Long-billed Marsh Wren. 

 Collins Thurber. 



THE WOODPECKER FAMILY. 



The Woodpecker family is one of the 

 handsomest as well as one of the most 

 useful of bird families. These birds eat 

 many grubs and worms which would 

 otherwise harm the trees. They are 

 friendly with other birds and with man. 

 The Hairy Woodpecker, it is true, is 

 fond of the deep woods, but the other 

 members of the family like to make their 



homes in parks or orchards, or in the 

 trees along the village street. 



All the Woodpeckers have some red 

 feathers about the head; that is, all the 

 male birds, for Mrs. Woodpecker does 

 not wear such fine clothes as does Mr. 

 Woodpecker. Their coats are black and 

 white, except the Flickers, whose coats 

 are golden-brown and black. All have 



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