452 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



ECONOMIC ZOOLOGY— ENTOMOLOGY. 



Our meadow larks in relation to agriculture (Stumella magna and S. 

 neglecta), F. E. L. Beal (C/. S. Dept. Agr. Yearbook 1912, pp. 279-2S4 ) .—Atten- 

 tion Is first called to the fact that 2 species of meadow larks inhabit North 

 America, the first {S. magna) with its several subspecies occupying the 

 eastern part of the country; the second (S. neglecta) inhabiting the Pacific 

 coast region and extending eastward to meet, and in some places overlap, the 

 range of the first. In the matter of food, however, the species are scarcely dis- 

 tinguishable and may be considered from an economic standpoint as one. 



Laboratory investigations of the contents of the stomachs of 1,514 meadow 

 larks, collected in 36 States, the District of Columbia, and Canada, and in every 

 month of the year, showed 74.22 per cent to consist of animal matter ; more than 

 five-sixths of which consisted of beetles, caterpillars, and grasshoppers. " Of the 

 animal food 25.46 per cent is composed of the remains of beetles, and of these 

 12.10 per cent are useful species, mostly Carabidse or ground beetles. Weevils, or 

 snout beetles, amount to 4.94 per cent, and all others to 8.44 per cent." Diptera 

 aggregate for the year 0.36 per cent; Lepidoptera in the shape of caterpillars 

 hold a prominent position in the food from February to June, inclusive, attain- 

 ing their maximum of 24.49 per cent in May, and for the year averaging 10.54 

 frer cent. Orthoptera a. ere eaten in every month and appear to be the favorite 

 food of meadow larks ; the average for the year is 26.08 per cent, and for each 

 of the 3 months of August, September, and October they constitute more than 

 one-half of the total diet. Spiders, myriapods, snails, and an occasional lizard 

 make up the remainder of the animal food, or 4.31 per cent. 



In the matter of vegetable food no such special preference is shown, though 

 corn and weed seeds are evidently favored. Com is taken only in the late fall 

 pnd winter months and is probably mostly waste grain. " In estimating the 

 economic value of the meadow lark it is significant that the total of grain in 

 the meadow lark's diet is only 12.72 per cent of the whole, while noxious in- 

 sec! s and weed seeds amount to 64.06 per cent." 



Relation of birds to grain aphids, W. L. McAtee (U. 8. Dept. Agr. Year- 

 book 1012, pp. 397-40.'f, figs. 3). — This paper is based upon an investigation con- 

 ducted from March 29 to April 4, largely on a badly infested farm near Wins- 

 ton-Salem, N. C. Three species of aphids were present, namely, the English 

 grain aphis (Macrosiphum granaria), the spring grain aphis or so-called green 

 bug [Toxoptera graminum), and the European grain aphis (Siphocoryne 

 avcnw), the first mentioned being the most abundant. 



Nine species of birds observed were found to have fed upon these plant lice, 

 Aphids were found in all but 5 stomachs of the goldfinch {Astragalinus tristis) 

 out of a total of 25 collected, no fewer than 325 plant lice having been counted 

 in the contents of one stomach. Aphids constituted, on the average, 82.75 

 per cent of the total food, the average number of countable aphids in the 

 20 stomachs being 132.5. A single pine siskin (Spinus pinus) collected had 

 eaten more than 80 aphiAs, which composed practically the entire stomach 

 contents. Fifteen of 22 vesper sparrows {Pooecetes gramineus) collected were 

 found to have eaten plant lice. The average percentage of the food composed 

 of aphids was 19.5 and the largest number counted in any stomach was 42. 

 Aphids composed an average of 25.3 per cent of the stomach contents of the 

 20 savanna sparrows (Passerculus -sandicichensis savamva) collected. The 

 largest number secured by any one bird was 130 and the average number 63.5. 

 Thirty-five of 48 chipping sparrows {Spisella passerina) collected had eaten 

 plant lice, one having eaten as many as 260, and the average number being 

 94.76. Three of 6 field sparrows {S. pusilla) had eaten plant lice to the aver- 



