1262 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 237 pakt 3 



crickets and other forms; several small spiders; and fragments of small snails 

 and other mollusks. 



The food of nestlings has not yet been studied. Presumably these 

 birds follow the fringillid pattern, feeding their young on the insect 

 life which abounds in their northern home, with increasing quantities 

 of grass and weed seed and miscellaneous vegetable matter as the 

 young birds develop. 



Economic status. — During its sojourn in the United States the 

 feeding habits of the Harris' sparrow are completely beneficial. The 

 hordes that pass through the Prairie States consume great quantities 

 of weed and grass seeds, and molest nothing of any value to man. 

 In the summer they are beyond the reaches of civilization, where the 

 insects and seeds they devour, however noxious, are of no concern. 

 Thus the Middle West is blessed with a species both charming and 

 blameless, to welcome and cherish without reservation. 



Behavior. — Of their habits on the wintering grounds Mrs. Nice 

 (1929a) writes: 



Harris Sparrows are preeminently birds of underbrush; they frequent thick 

 shrubbery along creeks and at the edge of woods, especially trees that are covered 

 with vines. When alarmed, they, like Tree Sparrows, fly up, instead of diving 

 into depths of cover as Song and Lincoln Sparrows do. They often perch high 

 in trees, a characteristic not shown by any of our other wintering sparrows except 

 Tree Sparrows and an occasional Fox Sparrow. Harris and Tree Sparrows and 

 Juncos stay in flocks, mostly of their own species, all winter, while Song and 

 Lincoln Sparrows are solitary. 



******* 



In general we have found that Zonotrichia querula drove away smaller birds to 

 some extent, but suffered, itself, from a special animosity from Cardinals. On 

 April 29, I noted: *'A Harris Sparrow is hopping about the kitchen door getting 

 crumbs. He is a loquacious creature, chattering to himself, stopping every now 

 and then to give a fragment of his sweet song. A young English Sparrow happens 

 to come near — he flies at it viciously!" 



******* 



January 19. Distinguished guests today — three Harris Sparrows arrive, all in 

 the palest plumage. One is a tyrant, driving away the other birds; after he has 

 eaten enough he settles down upon the water dish and rests, while five English 

 Sparrows, the White-crown, the Plumbeous Chickadees and two of his own kind 

 sit about in the bushes and wait. 



* * * Number 9 had an amusing habit of sunning himself on the shelf, lying 

 down stretched out to the left, even doing this while eating. Later O sunned 

 himself, but the other birds never did. Sometimes O chased 5 away, but in 

 general they were amicable. They both sang a great deal during the last five 

 days of their stay. 



At Stillwater an old Harris' sparrow, returned for his fourth season, 

 discovered our weathervane feeder in the front yard and spent most 

 of a cold, snowy month in it. After feeding, he would fluff up his 

 feathers, close his eyes, and bask in the sun, safe within the glass 



