BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 
811 
webs of several primaries barred with white and dusky ; an obscure line over eye, 
and streaks or spots on sides of head and neck whitish. 
Eastern North America generally, breeding from the northern parts of 
the United States northward, and wintering from about its southern breeding limit 
southward. 
Common winter resident in southern parts of Pennsylvania from early 
in October to about the middle of April. Breeds regularly though 
somewhat sparingly in the northern and mountainous portions of the 
state. During its residence with us frequents chiefly overhanging 
banks of streams, the projecting or upturned roots of trees, brush piles 
and dead logs in woods or thickets near watery places. The sharp 
chirr of this sly and secretive little creature may often be heard — 
though the bird is hidden from view— in wood-piles about houses, where 
it comes to seek insects and larvae, on which it feeds exclusively. I 
have never seen the nest or eggs of the Winter Wren. The nest is said 
to be built generally in “thick coniferous woods,” in a hole or crevice of 
a stumiD or log, close to the ground, and constructed of moss, twigs, 
lichens, lined with feathers or hair. “Eggs, five to eight, .65 by .48, 
pure white, minutely dotted with reddish-brown and purplish” ( Coues). 
Mr. Otto Behr says (letter February, 1890) of this species in Sullivan 
county : “ The Winter Wren is quite common with us in summer, but 
I have never seen him in the middle of winter. It is a very retiring 
bird, never coming out in open ground in summer. He is invariably 
found in some dark wood at the edge of a swamp. He is a splendid 
singer, with a voice entirely out of proportion to his size, and can be 
heard a long way off, but is rather difficult to approach. We found his 
nest but once. It was built on the side of a mossy log that laid across 
a small run in a dark rocky place. The nest was composed entirely of 
moss with the entrance at one side near the bottom ; it contained six 
eggs which resembled those of the common Chickadee. The eggs were 
fresh ; time July 4.” 
1 
Genus CISTOTHORUS Cabanis. 
Cistothorus stellaris (Light.). 
Short-billed Marsh Wren. 
Description. 
Bill short, about half the length of head ; wings and tail about equal. Above 
dark brown ; back part of crown, middle of back and rump quite blackish and con- 
spicuously streaked with white ; throat and central portion of abdomen whitish ; 
wings and tail barred with blackish and brown ; sides of body, sides ol breast and 
under tail-coverts reddish-brown ; maxilla blackish ; mandible paler, legs, feet and 
eyes brown. Length about inches ; extent about 6|. 
Habitat. — Eastern United States and southern British provinces, west to the 
plains. Winters in the Gulf States and southward. 
Regular but apparently rare summer resident. Inhabits sloughs and 
