Cistothorus palustris. 
Middlesex Connty, Mass. 
Visited the colony on tho Mrosh Pond marshes. 
The birds v/ere numerous and vdioroevor I hoard a male 
singing I v/as nearly sure bo find several false nests. 
In one place there ?/ere four within an area o'' ton yards 
Some v/ero placed in bhe tops of tussocks, others among 
coarse grass or flags;--all v/’oro vjry conspicuous and 
all v/’oro lined with mud. One real nest containing five 
eggs vras suspendGd.botvmon tho stems of some rather fine 
grasses and lined with fine grass, a little dovm and a 
few feathers. It v/’as quite as conspicuous as any of 
the false nests and v/as within ten yards of one of them. 
Tho males bogar. to scold as soon as I approached any of 
the nests, I think the females loft their eggs at tho 
first alarm for I shot one v/hich was incubating but 
which had flov; out of tl.o meadow v/hon tho male began to 
scold and took to ae thicket of alders on a hill-side. 
The song of the males varied a good deal, but commonly 
i is e rick ^ rick , a -rick- a -rick- a -r ick .__ 
Made another visit to tho colony in the Fresh Pond 
marslies. In one place Yrtioro, on Juno 26, there vero 
three false nests a fourth had been added and was placed 
within two feet of one of tho others. All tho false 
nests found on Juno 26 were still empty. The males 
must spend much of their time working on them; I found 
several to-day just beginning. It seems doubtful if 
they are over put to any use. Near the inhabited nest 
that I took on the 26 was a false one, but the birds 
have not laid in it. I found a now nest v/ithin two 
yards of it vAich I think v/as intended for their second 
sot of eggs as it was softly lined with fine grasses, 
v/ool Etc., Y/hereas tho false nests are invariably lined 
v;ith mud. Unfortunately I took this nest before no¬ 
ticing tho above facts. I shot a female which v/as incu 
bating but v/hich, as usual, had taken the alarm and loft 
the nest before I saw her. 
