They were all taken in the five months from April to August, inclusive, and the 

 average per month, if tiiose five alone be considered, is 36.19 per cent. 



Diptera (flies) amount to 12.83 per cent of the food, and were eaten in 

 every month except August and September, but this exception is probably acci- 

 dental. Those identified belong to the house-fly family (Muscidse), the Syrphid;e 

 I Eristalis tenax), and the robber flies (Asilidje). These last were found in 2 

 stomachs only. Altogether Diptera were found in 24 stomachs. Lepidoptera 

 ( moths and their larvae) were eaten in all the months but 3 (August, September, 

 and October), but this is probably only accidental. A greater number of stomachs 

 might show a regular consumption throughout the season. They amount to 17.11 

 per cent of the seasonal diet and were found in 29 stomachs. Of these, 22 con- 

 tained caterpillars and 7 moths. No special pest was identified. 



Orthoptera (grasshoppers and crickets) were eaten in the four montlis, 

 April to July, and a few in December. The total is only 5.14 per cent, and the 

 maximum. 18.07 per cent, occurs in July. Raphidians, dragon flies, and spiders 

 together make 2.93 per cent, the balance of the animal food. The first-named are 

 queer, long-necked, grotesque-looking creatures found in this country only in 

 the far West. They are carnivorous in their habits and are said to prey upon the 

 codling moth. In any event, they do not appear to be numerous in this country 

 at present, and the only specimens the writer ever collected were in the stomachs 

 of birds. The Ash-Throat appears to eat more of them than any bird yet examined, 

 as they were found in 10 stomachs. One stomach contained 5, and in all there 

 were 16 individuals. Dragon flies were found in 6 stomachs, about the usual pro- 

 portion for a flycatcher, and spiders in 17, a rather large showing for such 

 sedentary creatures. 



Vegetable food. — The vegetable food of the Ash-Throat may all be summed 

 up in two words, fruit and seeds. Elderberries ( Sambucus) were found in 5 

 stomachs, cissus in 1, black nightshade (Solanum) in 1, fruit not identified in 2. 

 and seeds unknown in 3. 



In its animal food the \sh-Throat destroys a great number of harmful insects 

 and a few beneficial ones, so that the balance is greatly in the bird's favor. Its 

 vegetable food has no economic interest. 



