52 BlltDS OF CALIFORNIA AFFECTING FRUIT INDUSTRY. 



other shrubbery, but not rnrely iu the orchard. I)uriu«r the nii<,n"a- 

 tioii it is commou aud widespread. 



Fifty-two stouiachs of this bird have beeu examined, aud though 

 the evidence is somewhat fraguieutary, it suffices to reveal the general 

 character of the food. 



Animal food.— Aimm\\ matter amounts to over 93 percent, vege- 

 table to less than 7 percent. Of the former, the larger item is Hemip- 

 tera, which aggregates over 35 percent. The black olive scale was 

 found in four stomachs, but leaf-hoppers make up the bulk of this 

 portion of the food. Ilymenoptera stand next in importance, with 81 

 peirent, uuide up of both wasps and ants. 



Flies are eaten to the extent of 11 perceul, and in connection with 

 the llymenoiitera proves what observation of its habits indicate, that 

 this bird gets much of its food when on the wing. A good many of 

 the insects were the tipulids, or crane-flies. 



Beetles of half a dozen dilferent families were eaten to the extent 

 of about percent. They were mostly leaf-beetles (Chrysomelidfv), 

 with a few weevils and one or two others. No coccinellids were 



found. 



Somewhat less than 5 percent of the food consists of caterpillars. 

 They do not appear to be favorite food, for they are eaten very 

 irregularly. Spiders also are taken only sparingly, and form but 

 little more than 1 percent of the total food. 



VegetaUc food.—TXxQ vegetable food, less than 7 percent of the 

 total, is made uj) almost entirely of fruit pulp, and was eaten in the 

 months of September and October. 



Sl'M.MAKY. 



The foregoing hasty review of the food of the golden pileolated 

 warbler shows that its food habits are practically the same as those 

 of other members of the family. The food is largely composed of 

 insects, and its two most prominent elements are Ilymenoptera and 

 ITemiptera. which are eaten extensively and very regidarly through 

 the vear. The other components of the diet apparently are taken 



with less regularity 



WESTERN MOUKING BIRD. 

 (Miwrus poVijgloUos leucopterus.) 



The mocking bird has always been held in such high esteem as a 

 singer that perhaps it would be useless to attempt to add to the 

 bird's repute by showing (liat its food habits are of a high order of 

 economic interest. Moreover, the title of the mocking bird to be 

 ranked as an economic benefactor is not quit^ clear, for, though it 



