SHORT-BILLED MARSH-WREN. 
437 
This amusing and not unmusical little species inhabits 
the lowest marshy meadows, but does not frequent the 
reed-flats. It never visits cultivated grounds, and is at all 
times shy, timid, and suspicious. It arrives in this part 
of Massachusetts about the close of the first week in May, 
and retires to the South by the middle of September at 
farthest, probably by night, as it is never seen in pro- 
gress, so that its northern residence is only prolonged 
about four months. 
Its presence is announced by its lively and quaint song 
of ’tsh 9 tship , a day day day day , delivered in haste and 
earnest at short intervals, either when he is mounted on 
a tuft of sedge, or while perching on some low bush near 
the skirt of the marsh. , The ’ tsh 9 tship is uttered with a 
strong aspiration, and the remainder with a guttural 
echo. While thus engaged, his head and tail are alter- 
nately depressed and elevated, as if the little odd per- 
former were fixed on a pivot. Sometimes the note va- 
ries to ’ tship 9 tsliip 9 tshia , dli 9 dh 9 dh 9 dh 9 , the latter part 
being a pleasant trill. When approached too closely, 
which not often happened, as he permitted me to come 
within two or three feet of his station, his song becomes 
harsh and more hurried, like 3 tship da da da, and de, de , 
de de d 9 d 9 dh, or tshe de de de de, rising into an angry, 
petulant cry, which is sometimes also a low hoarse and 
scolding daigh daigh ; then again on invading the nest, 
the sound sinks to a plaintive 9 tsh tship, 9 tsh tship . In the 
early part of the breeding season, the male is very lively 
and musical, and in his best humor he tunes up a 9 tship 
9 thsip tship a dee, with a pleasantly warbled and reiterated 
de . At a later period, another male uttered little else 
than a hoarse and guttural daigh, hardly louder than the 
croaking of a frog. When approached they repeatedly de- 
scend into the grass, where they spend much of their 
37 * 
