MARSH WREK. 
195 
tied so fast in every part to the surrounding reeds, as 
to bid defiance to the winds and the waves. The eggs 
are usually six, of a dark fawn colour, and very small. 
The young leave the nest about the 20th of June, and 
they generally have a second brood in the same season. 
The size, general colour, and habit of this bird of 
erecting its tail, gives it, to a superficial observer, 
something of the appearance of the common house 
wren, and still more that of the winter wren ; but with 
the former of these it never associates ; and the latter 
has left us some time before the marsh wren makes his 
appearance. About the middle of August, they begin 
to go off; and, on the 1st of September, very few of 
them are to be seen. How far north the migrations of 
this species extend, I am unable to say ; none of them, 
to my knowledge, winter in Georgia, or any of the 
southern States. 
The marsh wren is five inches long, and six in extent ; 
the whole upper parts are dark brown, except the upper 
part of the head, back of the neck, and middle of the 
back, which are black, the two last streaked with 
white ; the tail is short, rounded, and barred with black ; 
wings, slightly barred ; a broad strip of white passes 
over the eye half way down the neck ; the sides of the 
neck are also mottled with touches of a light clay colour 
on a whitish ground ; whole under parts, pure silvery 
white, except the vent, which is tinged with brown ; 
the legs are light brown ; the hind claw, large, semi- 
circular, and very sharp ; bill, slender, slightly bent ; 
nostrils, prominent; tongue, narrow, very tapering, sharp 
pointed, and horny at the extremity ; eye, hazel. The 
female almost exactly resembles the male in plumage. 
From the above description, the naturalist will per- 
ceive that this species is truly a certhia or creeper ; 
and indeed its habits confirm this, as it is continually 
climbing along the stalks of reeds, and other aquatic 
plants, in search of insects. 
