PRAIRIE MARSH WREN 255 



young birds, "is acquired by a complete prenuptial moult as indicated 

 by the relatively unworn condition of the feathers when the birds arrive 

 in May." He had no positive evidence of the molt, however. Dr. 

 Welter could "find no evidence of a prenuptial molt in the series of 

 specimens examined." The plumage of birds living in such dense 

 vegetation must be subjected to rather severe abrasion, which might 

 require a renewal of plumage oftener than once a year; and it may 

 be that the prenuptial molt takes place during the late winter or very 

 early spring, before the birds arrive on their breeding grounds. Dr. 

 Witmer Stone (1896) agrees with Dr. Dwight's view, and I have seen 

 some half a dozen specimens, taken in North and South Carolina, 

 Florida, New Mexico, and Mexico, between February 23 and March 28, 

 that show various stages of a complete prenuptial molt. Whether 

 these are adults or young birls I do not know. 



Food. — The marsh wren feeds almost entirely on insects and their 

 larvae, which it obtains on the marsh vegetation or on the floor of the 

 marsh. Dr. Welter (1935) says that "much of the food is obtained 

 near or from the surface of the water .* * * It is not unusual to 

 observe the bird as he sights a juicy morsel fly into the air and capture 

 it in the manner of a flycatcher. Insects as large as dragonflies are 

 taken in this way. * * * Coleoptera and Diptera assume the high- 

 est rank while various other orders are represented to a lesser degree. 

 Carabidae and Dytiscidae occur more frequently among the beetles 

 than any other forms while a large percentage of the Diptera belong to 

 the Tipulidae." 



F. H. King (1883) reports from Wisconsin that "of 14 stomachs 

 examined one ate 1 ant; one, a caterpillar; one, 3 beetles; three, 

 3 moths; one a small grasshopper; one, 5 grasshopper eggs; one, 

 1 dragon-fly; and one a small snail." Mosquito larvae are probably 

 prominent in the food, as are larvae of other flying insects, diminutive 

 moUusks, and aquatic insects. Forbush (1929), referring to Massa- 

 chusetts, says that "in the salt marsh at high tide, it feeds on insects 

 which crawl up on the grass and reeds, and at low tide it feeds largely 

 on minute marine animals which it finds on or near the ground." 



Behavior. — The marsh wren is much more often heard than seen. 

 As we drift along some quiet stream bordered by extensive cattail 

 marshes, we hear all about us the gurgling, bubbling songs, or the 

 chattering, scolding notes of the birds, but not one is in sight in the 

 dense jungle of flags. Perhaps one may explode into the air, rising 

 a few feet above the cattails with an outburst of enthusiastic song 

 and drift down again into cover; or we may see one make a longer 

 flight from one part of the marsh to another, buzzing along on slow, 

 direct, steady flight with rapid wing beats. If we watch quietly, 

 curiosity may prompt one to come peering at us with furtive glances 

 from the shelter of his retreat, clinging with feet wide apart to two 



