CREEPERS 339 



composed of the dead leaves of rushes and marsh grasses, and 

 down from the cat-tails, and the lining is of the latter material 

 and fine grasses. It is fastened to the growing reeds or to 

 small bushes bordering the marsh. 



Food habits. — This species is almost wholly insectivorous in 

 its diet. A large part of its food consists of beetles and 

 spiders, and in addition it is known to eat locusts, bugs, leaf 

 hoppers, wasps, ants, flies, and mosquitoes. 



LONG-BILLED MARSH WREN : Telmatodytes palustris 

 pcUustris (Wilson). 



State records. — The typical race of the marsh wren (valvs- 

 tris) occurs rarely in winter on the Gulf coast, a specimen 

 having been taken at Bon Secour, October 21, 1908. 



General habits. — In habits this race does not differ appre- 

 ciably from the resident form (marianae). 



PRAIRIE MARSH WREN: Telmatodytes palustris Uiacus 



Ridgway. 



State records. — The prairie marsh wren is the interior form 

 of the long-billed species, breeding in the Mississippi Valley. 

 It may be found in small numbers in Alabama in migration, 

 as well as in winter. Specimens are in the Biological Survey 

 collection, taken as follows: Bon Secour, October 19, 1908; 

 Orange Beach (2), January 24, 1912; Barachias, April 24, 

 1912; Scale, May 22, 1914 (a very late migrant) ; and Grand 

 Bay, November 17, 1915. Golsan and Holt record one taken 

 at Autaugaville, October 26, 1913.* 



CREEPERS: Family Certhiidae. 



BROWN CREEPER: Certhia familiaris americana 

 Bonaparte. 



State records. — The brown creeper is a moderately common 

 winter resident in all parts of the State. McCormack ob- 

 served it at Leighton between October 16 and April 13 and 

 Avery noted the first one in fall at Greensboro on October 21. 



•Golsan and Holt, The Auk, vol. 81, p. 284, 1914. 



