166 
TENTH REPORT. 
strates how plentiful the insect life must be, for the food of nestlings, accor- 
ding to Judd, consists of weed seeds, 1 per cent, and insects 99 per cent. 
The animal food found in the stomachs of 12 nestlings consisted of beetles, 
lepidoptera, spiders, and a few snails. The food of adults consists of nearly 
the same animal matter as that of the nestlings, but with a much larger per 
cent of seeds. By the first of June, numbers of immature blackbirds -gather 
into flocks and may be seen wandering about in the marsh, feeding upon 
insects or picking up the refuse on the bank of the river. Many of our birds, 
while gregarious during the spring or fall, separate during the nesting period. 
The red-winged blackbirds however, associate with other members of their 
species throughout the year. Sometimes as many as a dozen nests are 
found within a space ten feet square. Storms seem to trouble these birds 
very little, for during the heaviest rains of spring they may be seen flying 
about. 
Long-billed Marsh Wren. (Telmatodytes palustris palustris). Another 
characteristic bird of the open marsh is the Long-billed Marsh Wren. Though 
seldom seen because of its shyness the nests are very common, and its song 
may be heard throughout the day during the breeding season. These little 
birds remain concealed among the reeds and sedges and are only seen for 
a moment as they rise and fly a few feet to quickly settle out of sight again. 
The most successful observations were made by concealing myself in the 
vicinity of a nest and remaining quiet. Soon the birds seem to forget the 
presence of a stranger and go on with their household duties as before. By 
the time the wrens appear in the spring, the insect life is abundant, and 
nest building is soon undertaken and by the middle of May complete sets are 
found. The nest is usually built in a tussock of sedge, often the dense deep 
water sedge (Car ex stricta). The foundation consists of a few damp stems 
of sedges, grass, etc., woven lightly but firmly about the central portions of 
the tussock. At the same time the walls and dome are commenced, so in 
the course of a few hours the shape and size of the entire nest may be seen 
although comparatively little material has been used. The damp material 
is gathered on the spot and used throughout except for the lining which 
consists of fine dry grasses. Interwoven with the dead grasses are leaves 
of the living sedge in which the nest is placed. So skillful is the nest hidden 
that it is sometimes impossible to locate it when right before one. The 
majority are built about two feet above standing water. Sometimes the 
nests are located at the very edge of the river, but the site usually chosen, 
is in the thick sedges a little distance from the bluff and separated from the 
open water by a thick bed of cattails. Here they are protected from winds 
from any direction, and the only enemies which play an important part are the 
cattle which usually graze on the nearby hillside, but come down into the marsh 
when flies become too troublesome. These animals tramp down the rushes and 
eat the tops. At least twenty nests were thus destroyed in one afternoon. 
The wrens have a curious habit of building several “fake” nests in the vicin- 
ity of the one occupied. This was often observed, as many as six nests, 
complete except the lining, have been found within a radius of five feet 
from the occupied one. The true nests are often placed close together, 
colonies of ten or twelve nests occupying a space not more than six feet 
square. Often when the nest is completed a tuft of the white cotton from the 
flowering sedges nearby is woven over the circular entrance. This is so 
general that I usually locate the opening by glancing over the nest for this 
conspicuous mark. By the middle of May, the sets are usually complete, but 
