Western Marsh-Wren 495 
Distribution.— Breeding from Manitoba and Maine southwards to 
Georgia and westwards to Utah ; wintering in the Gulf states. 
This bird has been found breeding at Provo, on Utah Lake, and one 
example has been taken at Cheyenne, in Wyoming, but the only 
undoubted record of the species within the State is that of Merritt 
Cary, who shot one in a rank growth of marsh-grass on the Medano 
Springs Ranch, in the San Luis Valley, October 23rd, 1907, and saw 
another individual next day. 
Genus TELMATODYTES. 
Closely resembling Cistothorus, but the bill longer, more than half 
the length of the head, and the crown plain without streaks ; eggs 
dark brown. 
One species only, confined to temperate North America, but divided 
into a number of local races. 
Western Marsh-Wren. Telmatodytes palustris plesius. 
A.O.U. Checklist no 725c—Colorado Records—Aiken 72, p. 196; 
Henshaw 75, p. 185; Drew 81, p. 88; 85, p. 15; Allen & Brewster 83, 
p. 155 ; Morrison 88, p. 72; Osburn 93, p. 212 ; Cooke 97, pp. 19, 121, 
222; Richards 08, p. 38. 
Description.—Adult—Crown dusky black, becoming brown in the 
centre line to a varying extent; centre of the back black, streaked 
with white ; rest of the upper-surface rufous-brown, dusky on the wings 
and tail, the upper tail-coverts more or less distinctly barred with 
dusky ; the tail-feathers barred dusky and rufous, especially the median 
pair ; a well-marked white superciliary stripe ; below dull white, passing 
into pale cinnamon-brown on the flanks ; under tail-coverts more or 
less distinctly barred ; iris brown, bill dusky-brown, paler on the lower 
mandible ; legs brownish. Length of a female 4-25 ; wing 2-10; tail 
1-75 ; culmen -50; tarsus -72. 
The sexes are alike, the coloration is a little richer in autumn and the 
young are like the adults, but the pattern of colour is less distinct 
and the superciliary stripe is almost obsolete. 
Distribution.—This subspecies is found in the Rocky Mountain 
district, extending from British Columbia to New Mexico, and west to 
eastern slopes of the Cascades; it winters in many places within its 
breeding range, as well as in the northern states of Mexico. 
In Colorado the Western Marsh-Wren is not uncommon where there 
are suitable spots, such as marshy lakes. It is undoubtedly a resident 
throughout the year in many places. L. J. Hersey tells mo he has 
repeatedly observed it at Barr Lake, near Denver, in the months of 
December, January and February, while Richards (08) saw two at 
Littleton, also near Denver, on Christmas Day, 1907, and Cooke states 
that it has been seen in Routt co. in January by A. A. Bennett. Other 
