222 



Economic Status. Being a frequenter of the woodlands this bird 

 does not come into close contact with man but its effects as far as they go 

 are entirely beneficial. 



Genera — Cistothorus and Telmatodytes. 



724. Short-billed Marsh Wren. fb. — le boitelet db mabais au bec court. 

 Cistothorus stellaris. L, 4. Much like the Long-billed Marsh Wren but smaller and more 

 finely streaked. 



Distinctions. The two Marsh Wrens are the only Wrens native to eastern Canada 

 which have sharply striped upperparts. The Short-billed is the only one with a streaked 

 crown. 



Field Marks. A small Marsh Wren with little or no reddish tinge in the brown 

 colouring and with a streaked head. Its notes are quite different from those of the Long- 

 billed, with which it is most likely to be confused. 



Nesting. On wet ground; nest, a ball of green grass woven near the top of grass 

 clumps with a small circular entrance hole in the side. 



Distribution. Eastern United States crossing into Canada in the east along lake 

 Erie and adjacent country but more common in the prairie provinces. 



The Short-billed Marsh Wren is local and irregular in its distribution; 

 it may be present one year in a locality and absent the next, and little is 

 really known of its distribution in Canada. It frequents damp, grassy 

 marshes rather than wet swamps and is usually found in little colonies. 



725. Long-billed Marsh Wren. fb. — le tboglodyte de marais. Telmatodytes 

 palustris. L, 5-2. A richly coloured Wren with an almost black mantle falling from 

 hindneck over shoulders where it is streaked with white; all remainder, reddish brown 

 above, creamy white below with flanks washed with the same colour as the back. 



Distinctions. The variation and colours of back will distinguish the two Marsh Wrens 

 from all others; the crown evenly coloured or with only a diffuse brown median stripe 

 instead of numerous short, fine stripes will separate it from the Short-billed. 



Field Marks. The locality which it frequents — wet, reedy, or cat-tail marshes — is 

 usually sufficient for identification, but the dark crown contrasting with the light eyebrow 

 line is always specifically diagnostic. 



Nesting. Near the top of the reeds or rushes in wide wet marshes; nest, a ball of 

 dead cat-tail leaves, grass, or reeds. Unlike many other marsh-haunters this species 

 is not attracted by marshes of small size. A swampy pool a few yards across attracts 

 the Red-wing and perhaps a Rail or two but the Long-billed Marsh Wren demands a 

 considerable area. An interesting trait of the Marsh Wren is the habit of building num- 

 erous sham nests near the one really occupied. The use made of these nests is not known 

 but as many as eight or nine nests that can be reasonably attributed to the efforts of 

 one pair may at times be found. 



Distribution. As a species the United States and southern Canada. Our Eastern 

 Marsh Wren, the type subspecies, occurs west to the Great Lakes region. 



SUBSPECIES. The Long-billed Marsh Wren is divided into several subspecies; 

 the Eastern Marsh Wren, the only form in which we are directly interested in eastern 

 Canada, is the type form of the species. 



Wide wet swamps and quaking bogs grown with cat-tails or reeds are 

 the places frequented by this Wren. 



FAMILY CEHTHIIDJS. CREEPERS. 



The name of the only eastern Canadian Creeper, the Brown Creeper, 

 describes the bird very well. It is a small brown bird that creeps or 

 climbs woodpecker-fashion on the trunks and larger branches of forest 

 trees. It is smaller than any Canadian Woodpecker and the bill is com- 

 paratively long, light, delicately tapered, and sickle-shaped (Figure 64, 



