264 BULLETIN 195, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



item, 29 percent. Scales were found in one stomach. Caterpillars and 

 chrysalids amounted to 17 percent, beetles (mainly harmful species) 16 

 percent, ants and wasps 8 percent, flies, grasshoppers, dragonflies, and 

 a few other insects 11 percent. Spiders were eaten regularly and made 

 up over 5 percent of the food. One stomach contained 11 small snails. 

 Not much more need be said about the habits of tule wren after all 

 that has been written about the prairie marsh wren, for their habits 

 are practically identical. Although some suspicion exists, there is no 

 positive evidence that snakes destroy the eggs or young of these wrens, 

 so far as I know. Dr. Gordon D. Alcorn (1931), however, published 

 the following observation, which is at least suggestive ; a pair of wrens 

 were much disturbed by the presence of a garter snake near their nests. 



The snake was slowly crawling some 2 to 5 feet above the water over the dead 

 cattail leaves and stems in which were located a number of occupied and unoccu- 

 pied wren nests. The birds remained perfectly silent, but with outspread wings 

 and ruffled feathers darted again and again at the head of the reptile. The snake 

 paid no attention to the birds but continued to "explore", finally approaching a 

 wren nest and entering it. About two-thirds of the snake's body remained outside 

 the nest while it stayed at the nest for about 30 seconds. The snake was allowed 

 to enter several nests in a similar manner. It was then killed and the stomach 

 examined and found to be empty but for a well-digested slug. Also each nest 

 entered was examined and each found to be empty (undoubtedly "decoys," as 

 each was unlined and in a conspicuous position.) * * * The snake was with- 

 out doubt looking for food, either eggs or young birds, in these nests, and was 

 not able to discriminate between occupied and unoccupied nests. 



Dawson (1923) writes: "In autumn the Tule Wrens leave the 

 sheltered precincts of the ponds, and go roaming about through dry 

 weed patches and adjacent chaparral. Here they are as noisy and as 

 elusive as ever, and are in nowise awed by their less usual sur- 

 roundings. There is, doubtless, some invasion from the north and 

 consequent crowding in winter." 



Mrs. Amelia S. Allen tells me that "on September 24, 1941, they 

 were abundant in a damp cow pasture inland in sedge grass." 



TELMATODYTES PALUSTRIS AESTUARINUS Swarth 



SUISUN MARSH WREN 



HABITS 



In naming this race Mr. Swarth (1917) says of its characters: 

 "In coloration aestuarinus is darker than the average of fdludicola^ 

 especially as compared with southern Californian examples of the 

 latter. Occasional specimens of paludicola^ however, from all parts 

 of its range, are quite as dark colored. In dimensions, T. p. aestuarius 

 differs from T. p. fdbudicola in its greater size throughout, being of 

 about the same dimensions as T. p. plesius. From plesius it differs in 

 its much darker coloration." This subspecies seems to be an inter- 

 mediate between the two adjacent races, resembling one in color and 



