96 THE NATURALIST'S GUIDE. 
sides, abdomen, and under tail-coverts. Middle of breast, 
sometimes, and sides, faintly and irregularly barred with 
transverse lines of pale brown. Durmg autumn and winter 
this pale brown of the sides, abdomen, and under tail-coy- 
erts, becomes quite rufous, and the bars on the sides much 
more distinct. Abdomen and under tail-coverts more regu- 
larly aud distinctly barred transversely with dark brown ; 
eyes brown. Feet varying from brown to paler, sometimes 
almost white. In this stage it is the 7. Americanus of 
authors. 
In younger stages the plumage differs from this in hav- 
ing the upper parts paler, with the bars on the middle of 
the back almost, and in some specimens quite, obsolete. 
The bars on the wings are not as distinct, and there are 
on the ends of the wing-coverts small triangular spots of 
dirty white. There is generally a dirty-white superciliary 
stripe over the eye. The middle of the breast is without 
the faint barrings. The under mandible of the bill is 
sometimes pale brown the whole length. This is the 7. 
aédon of authors.* 
The first stage is somewhat uncommon, while the inter- 
mediate and the last are of more general occurrence. 
It will be seen by the table, that no rule can be fixed 
where color can be made to coincide with size. 
20. Anorthura hyemalis, Reyniz.— Winter Wren. 
Rare in this section during the migrations. J have seen it 
in October and in April. I have never met with it in 
winter, and doubt if it occurs during that season. I found 
it very abundant in Oxford County, Maine, from October 
12th to 22d, when it disappeared. Frequents low bushes 
by the roadside and along stone walls. It is shy, and diffi- 
cult to approach while it is in sight, as upon the appear- 
ance of man it immediately hides. 
21. Cistothorus stellaris, Cas.— Long-billed Marsh 
* Occasionally the young-of-the-year assume the darker plumage of the 
adult ; this was the case with No 2970. 
