494. Birds of Colorado 
Denver, July 8th, 1896, W. H. Bergtold ; while H. G. Smith obtained 
a single female caught by a cat in his house at Denver, October 13th, 
1891. Warren informs me that he saw a specimen in the Sapinero 
Valley, Gunnison co., on September 26th, 1906, at about 8,500 feet. 
It may therefore be considered a resident. 
I have not seen a Colorado example of the Winter-Wren, but have 
followed Prof. Cooke in assigning the Colorado records to the eastern 
rather than the western form of the bird ; H. G. Smith’s example was 
also assigned by Oberholser, of the Biological Survey, to the eastern 
subspecies. 
Habits.—The Winter-Wren is a somewhat shy and 
retiring bird, keeping near the ground, generally in thick 
undergrowth or among fallen timber, where it creeps 
about investigating cracks and crannies for its insect 
food. On this account it is probably often overlooked, 
and may be of commoner occurrence than it is generally 
thought to be. The nest is usually placed in a crevice 
in a fallen log or in a stump; it is large and solidly made, 
and lined with fur and feathers. The eggs, five to seven 
in number, are white, sparingly spotted with reddish- 
brown, and measure 65 » °48. It has not yet been 
found breeding in the State. 
Genus CISTOTHORUS. 
Bill very short and slender, less than half the length of the head ; 
tail shorter than the wing, graduated ; plumage with the back and 
crown streaked longitudinally with black and white, eggs white. 
A considerable American genus, with only one species in the United 
States. 
Short-billed Marsh-Wren. Cistothorus stellaris. 
A.O.U. Checklist no 724—Colorado Record—Cary 09, p. 184. 
Description.—Adult—Above streaked with dusky and light brown 
in varying amounts, with, in addition, narrow white streaks on the 
scapulars and back ; tail barred with light and dark brown ; below 
white, tinged with pale rufous on the chest, flanks and under tail- 
coverts ; bill dusky, with quite pale horny lower mandible, legs 
brownish, pinkish in the flesh. Length 3-75; wing 1-75; tail 1-40; 
culmen -40; tarsus -65. 
The sexes are alike ; in autumn the plumage is somewhat more richly 
coloured. 
