The Marsh Wrens 
estuary region of the Sacramento River and in the San Joaquin Valley; winters irregular¬ 
ly south to the San Diego district. 
Authorities.—Heermann (Troglodytes palustris), Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 
ser. 2, ii., 1853, p. 263 (Sacramento Valley); Swarth, Auk, vol. xxxiv., 1917, p. 308, map 
(orig. desc.; type locality, Grizzly Id., Solano Co.). 
“TO THE COOTS and Rails belong the ooze-infesting morsels 
of the swamp; but all the little crawling things which venture into the 
upper story of the waving cat-tail forest belong to the Marsh Wren. 
Somewhat less cautious than the waterfowl, he is the presiding genius 
of flowing acres, which often have no other interest for the ornithologist. 
There are only two occasions when the Marsh Wren voluntarily leaves 
the shelter of the cat-tails or of the closely related marshables. One 
of these is when he is driven South by the migrating instinct. Then 
he may be seen skulking about the borders of the streams, sheltering 
in the weeds or clambering about the drift. The other time is in the 
spring, when the male shoots up into the air a few feet above the reeds, 
like a ball from a Roman candle, and sputters all the way, only to drop 
back, extinguished, into the reeds again. This is a part of the tactics 
of his courting season, when, if ever, a body may be allowed a little 
liberty. For the rest, he clings sidewise to the cat-tail stems or sprawls 
in midair, reaching, rather than flying from one stem to another. His 
tail is cocked up and his head thrown back, so that, on those few occasions 
when he is seen, he does not get credit for being as large as he really 
is” (The Birds of Ohio). 
Since his sphere of activity is so limited, we may proceed at once 
to the main interest, that of nest-building. And this is precisely as the 
Marsh Wren would have it, else why does he spend the livelong day 
making extra nests, which are of no possible use to anyone, save as 
examples of Telmatodytine architecture? It is possible that the female 
is coquettish, and requires these many mansions as evidence that the 
ardent swain will be able to support her becomingly after marriage. 
Or, it may be, that the suitor delights to afford his lady love a wide range 
of choice in the matter of homes, and seeks thus to drive her to the 
inevitable conclusion that there is only one home-maker for her. How¬ 
ever this may be, it is certain that one sometimes finds a considerable 
group of nest-balls, each of apparent suitability, before any are occupied. 
On the other hand, the male continues his harmless activities long 
after his mate has selected one of his early efforts and deposited her 
eggs; so that the oologist may have to sample a dozen “cock’s nests,” 
or decoys, before the right one is found. Some empty nests may be 
perfectly finished, but others are apt to lack the soft lining; while still 
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