\2 CIRCULAR 520. U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



shoot the birds under such circumstances have been granted, but in 

 general the meadowlark well merits the legal protection it receives. 

 Grasshoppers, beetles, bugs, and caterpillars are its leading kinds of 

 animal food. The meadowlark builds its nest in grass, usually leaving 

 an arch of vegetation over it so that it is not easy to find. The eggs 

 are three to seven, white, blotched, and speckled with brown, purple. 

 or lavender. 



MARSH WREN 



Marsh wrens (Telmatodytes paJmtris) in various slightly differing 

 forms breed in suitable places throughout the country and winter 

 sparingly from Xew Jersey south. Atlantic coast salt marshes are 

 favorite haunts, especially tlie areas occupied by cattails. Like all 

 wrens these little birds are the embodiment of restless energy, and 

 they sing over and over ahurried series of bubbling, lilting notes. Be- 

 sides the globular nest woven among and largely composed of cat- 

 tails and lined with their down, in which the 5 to 10 pale-brown to 

 chocolate eggs are laid, the marsh wren builds various extra dummy 

 nests that, unless used as sleeping quarters for the male, seem of no 

 use except to keep that tireless fellow busy in their construction. 

 The food of marsh wrens seems to be a fair sample of the insects and 

 other small organisms of their highly aquatic environment. 



BIRDS: LESS CHARACTERISTIC SPECIES 



Most of the common birds of the eastern United States may occa- 

 sionally be seen in or about salt marshes. The number to be treated 

 in this relatively brief account must be restricted, however, to the 

 most frequent or conspicuous visitors. 



HERONS AND EGRETS 



AH the herons frequent salt marshes more or less, and besides the 

 bittern, previously described among the more characteristic birds, 

 the great blue heron, little blue heron, Louisiana heron, green heron, 

 night heron, and the egrets may from time to time come to notice. 

 All herons fly with the neck drawn in and the legs extended behind. 

 The great blue heron (Ardea herodias) (pi. 3, A) may occur in the 

 salt marshes at all seasons. It stands about 2>yo feet high and when 

 in the air flaps its large wings slowly with a characteristic undula- 

 tory motion. The great blue heron is an expert spearer of fish but 

 on the whole takes more of the noncommercial than of the commer- 

 cial species, if for no other reason than that the former are more 

 common. 2 A good many great blue herons are killed under permit 

 about fish hatcheries and rearing ponds, but it would be better, where 

 at all feasible, to screen the ponds. 3 Shooting herons at the breeding 

 colonies is indefensible. Moreover, it is illegal, as the birds are pro- 

 tected by Federal law. 



The little blue heron (Florida caerulea) is about half the size of 

 the great blue heron and when adult is chiefly dark slate blue, while 



2 For further information see the following : Cottam, C. and "Chler, F. M. birds in 

 relation to fishes. U. S. Department of Agriculture. Wildlife Research and Manage- 

 ment Leaflet BS-83, 16 pp. 1937. [Mimeographed.] Obtainable on request from the 

 U. S. Bureau of Biological Survey, Washington. D. C. - 



3 For suggestions on screening ponds see the following publication : McAtee, W L.. and 

 Piper. S. E. Excluding birds from reservoirs and fishponds. "C. S. Department of 

 Agriculture Leaflet 120. 6 pp.. illus. 1936. Obtainable from the Superintendent ot 

 Documents, Washington, D. C, for 5 cents a copy, stamps not accepted. 



