360 CONNECTICUT GEOL. AND NAT. HIST. SURVEY. [Bull. 



orchard would fully protect the more valuable fruits." (Beal, 

 " Some Common Birds in their Relation to Agriculture.") 



The Bluebird {Sialia sialis sialis) " frequents orchards and 

 gardens, where it builds its nest in hollow trees or takes ad- 

 vantage of a nesting box provided by the enterprising farmer's 

 boy. 



" So far as known this bird has not been accused of stealing 

 fruit or of preying upon any crops. An examination of 295 

 stomachs showed that 76 per cent of the food consists of insects 

 and their allies, while the other 24 per cent is made up of various 

 vegetable substances, found mostly in stomachs taken in winter. 

 Beetles constitute 28 per cent of the whole food, grasshoppers 

 22, caterpillars 11, and various insects, including quite a number 

 of spiders, comprise the remainder of the insect diet. ' All these 

 are more or less harmful, except a few predaceous beetles, which 

 amount to 8 per cent; but, in view of the large consumption of 

 grasshoppers and caterpillars, we can at least condone this offense, 

 if such it may be called. The destruction of grasshoppers is very 

 noticeable in the months of August and September, when these 

 insects form more than 60 per cent of the diet. 



" It is evident that in the selection of its food the Bluebird 

 is governed more by abundance than by choice. Predaceous 

 beetles are eaten in spring, as they are the first insects to appear; 

 but in early summer caterpillars form an important part of the 

 diet, and are replaced a little later by grasshoppers. Beetles are 

 eaten at all times, except when grasshoppers are more easily 

 obtained. 



" So far as its vegetable food is concerned, the Bluebird is 

 positively harmless. The only traces of any useful product in the 

 stomachs consisted of a few blackberry seeds, and even these more 

 probably belonged to wild than cultivated varieties. Following 

 is a list of the various seeds which were found : blackberry, choke- 

 berry, juniper berry, pokeberry, partridge berry, greenbrier, 

 Virginia creeper, bittersweet, holly, strawberry bush, false 

 spikenard, wild sarsaparilla, sumac (several species), rose haws, 

 sorrel, ragweed, grass, and asparagus. This list shows how little 

 the Bluebird depends upon the farm or garden to supply its needs, 

 and indicates that, by encouraging the growth of some of these 

 plants, many of which are highly ornamental, the bird can be 

 induced to make its home on the premises." (Beal, " Some Com- 

 mon Birds in their Relation to Agriculture.") 



