646 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 237 part 2 



Hymenoptera, 2 of which were ants. * * * 5 kernels of wheat, 1 

 sunflower seed, 7 other weed seeds and a few plant fragments." 



May (in Forbush, 1929) describes an accidental visitor to March- 

 ville, Mass., June 9, 1907, as feeding "by the roadside with a small 

 flock of House Sparrows. * * * The bird was feeding avidly upon 

 the seeds of wayside dandelions, which it procured by jumping up from 

 the ground and nipping, with its powerful beak, through the base of 

 the ripening flower heads, each time alighting with a beakful of white 

 pappus." Other weed seeds eaten by this species are those of the 

 smartweed and amaranth. 



Considerable evidence shows that when grasshoppers are available, 

 this insect becomes the bird's favorite food. Thus, Kalmbach (1914) 

 reported that near Koehler Junction, N. Mex., about 78 percent of its 

 animal food was formed of grasshoppers, and Aughey (1878) stated 

 that, out of nine specimens coUected in southern Nebraska, seven had 

 grasshoppers in their stomachs, the lowest number being 11 and the 

 highest 19. R. L. Shotwell (1930) says of the bird foes of the grass- 

 hopper: "The most important predatory enemies of this insect in 

 Montana are the Lark Bunting (Calamospiza melanocorys) , Western 

 Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta), Sparrow Hawk (Falco sparverius), 

 Sage Hen {Centrocercus urophasianus) , Sharp-tailed Grouse (Pedi- 

 oecetes phasianellus) , and domestic turkeys and chickens. Of these 

 the most important is the Lark Bunting, which is very abundant 

 on the prairie lands. Swarms of grasshoppers can often be located 

 by the presence of large numbers of these buntings." This is sup- 

 ported by the observations of Welch (1936), who reported that on 

 "a trip through the wheat country near Broadview [Mont.] on August 

 4, there were encountered hordes of grasshoppers. The country 

 roads were literally covered with these insects. Thousands of Lark 

 Buntings and Desert Horned Larks were found in this territory, 

 evidently attracted by the grasshoppers." 



Behavior. — Probably the most outstanding behavioral character- 

 istic of the lark buntings is their gregariousness. Except when on 

 their nesting grounds, lark buntings live largely in flocks of con- 

 siderable size. W. F. Rapp, Jr., teUs me that for a short period of 

 time after their arrival in western Nebraska the males and females 

 remain in segregated flocks before their gradual dispersal to the 

 nesting areas. 



Apparently even when a lone lark bunting is separated from others 

 of his kind, he seeks the company of other birds. Thus, F. M, and 

 A. M. Baumgartner (1950) report that a lone female lark bunting 

 appeared at their banding station at various times from Feb. 5 to 

 Apr. 9, 1949, in the company of a flock of Harris's sparrows. The 

 flock disappeared at about the same time as the bunting's final 



