NO. 20.] THE BIRDS OF CONNECTICUT. 315 



ditch the smartweed formed a thicket more than 3 feet high, and 

 the ground beneath was literally black with seeds. Examination 

 showed that these seeds had been cracked open and the meat 

 removed. In a rectangular space of 18 square inches were found 

 1,130 half seeds and only 2 whole seeds. During the ensuing 

 season no smartweed grew where the sparrows had caused this 

 extensive destruction. Even as late as May 13 the birds were 

 still feeding on the seeds of these and other weeds in the field. 

 Sixteen sparrows were collected on that date, and 12 of these, 

 mainly Song, Chipping, and Field Sparrows, proved to have been 

 eating old weed seed. So thoroughly had the work been done that 

 diligent search showed only half a dozen seeds in the field where 

 they had been feeding. The birds had taken practically all that 

 were not covered; in fact, the Song Sparrow and several others 

 had scratched up much buried seed." 



" It is hardly to be expected that such seed eaters as sparrows 

 should destroy as great a quantity of insect pests as birds that 

 are entirely insectivorous. When it is found that in the food of 

 the native sparrows such pests average but 25 per cent, it is only 

 what might be expected. Still this percentage, when compared 

 with the percentage found in the cases of some birds, is no mean 

 showing. The Red-winged Blackbird's is less than 20 per cent, 

 the Catbird's but 16 per cent, the Cowbird's less than 20 per cent, 

 and the Crow Blackbird's only 10 per cent. 



" But as weed destroyers, the native sparrows are unrivaled. 

 In a garden within two months they will sometimes destroy 90 

 per cent of such weeds as pigeon-grass and ragweed. After they 

 have consumed most of these seeds they turn to those of other 

 weeds, which furnish them with a bountiful supply of food all 

 through the winter and even well into the spring. Weed seed 

 forms more than half of their food for the entire year, and during 

 the colder half of the year it constitutes about four-fifths of the 

 food of many species." 



" Part of the investigation on this farm was directed to the 

 question of the dissemination of weed seed by sparrows. One 

 hundred and fifty bird droppings were collected on each side of 

 the brook, in the ragweed field and in the weedy garden above. 

 Examination of these revealed but seven uninjured seeds, one of 

 crab-grass and six of amaranth, certainly a very insignificant 



