BIRD BIOGRAPHIES 



not to earn protection from a strictly economic standpoint. 

 About half of its diet consists of fruit, and many culti- 

 vated varieties are attacked, such as oranges, grapes, figs, 

 strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries. Somewhat 

 less than a fourth of the food is animal matter, of which 

 grasshoppers are the largest single element. The bird is 

 fond of cottonworms, and is known to feed on the chinch 

 bug, rice weevil, and boUworm. It is unfortunate that it 

 does not feed on injurious insects to an extent to offset its 

 depredations on fruit," ^ 



Professor Beal says, however, "The mockingbird will 

 probably do little harm to cultivated fruits so long as wild 

 varieties are accessible and abundant." ^ Wise cultivators 

 of fruit take this into consideration and plant accordingly, 

 to keep both their fruit and the delightful, amusing mock- 

 ingbirds. 



2 Farmers' Bulletin 513, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, Biological Survey, 



3 From Farmers' Bulletin 755, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, Biological 

 Survey. 



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