266 



BIRDS OP AMERICA 



reports them as feeding on newly sown wheat 

 that had not been harrowed in, eating nearly all 

 thus left exposed. He describes the birds as in 

 such immense flocks in the grain fields that at a 

 distance they looked like smoke rising from the 

 ground, and says that stomachs of birds taken 

 were full of wheat. On the other hand, Prof. 

 A. J. Cook, of Claremont, Calif., says that he 

 considers it one of the most valuable species in 

 the State. Mr. O. E. Bremner, State Horticul- 

 tural Inspector, in a letter to the Biological Sur- 

 vey, says: "The cankerworm episode is quite 



them. They were seen to eat freely of cherries, 

 and the stomachs of those taken showed that a 

 goodly proportion of the food consisted of cherry 

 pulp. While these observations were being 

 made, a neighboring fruit raiser began to plow 

 his orchard. Almost immediately every Black- 

 bird in the vicinity was upon the newly opened 

 ground and many followed within a few feet of 

 the plowman's heels in their eagerness to get 

 every grub or other insect turned out bv the 

 plow. 



On another occasion an orchard was watched 



Drawing by R. Bruce HorsEall 



BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS (i nat. size) 

 They follow the furrow and eat the grubs 



a common one with us here. In one district. Dry 

 Creek Valley, Sonoma County, there has been 

 a threatened invasion of the prune trees by 

 spring cankerworms several times, but each time 

 the Blackbirds came to the rescue and completely 

 cleaned them out. I have often seen bands of 

 Blackbirds working in an infested orchard. 

 They work from tree to tree, clearing them out 

 as thev go. If a worm tries to escape bv web- 

 bing down, they will dive down and catch him in 

 mid-air." 



In the cherry season, Mr. F. E. L. Beal of the 

 United States Biological Survey observed these 

 birds in the orchards, and collected a number of 



closely while the far side was being plowed. 

 A continual flight of Blackbirds was passing 

 in both directions over the observer's head, 

 and practically all of them alighted on the 

 newly plowed ground, fed there for a while, 

 and then returned, probably to their nests. \Mien 

 plowing was finished and harrowing began, the 

 Blackbirds immediately changed their foraging 

 ground, and followed the harrow as closely as 

 they had accompanied the plow. 



In so far as its animal food is concerned, but 

 little fault can be found with the Brewer's Black- 

 bird. The insects eaten are fairly well dis- 

 tributed among the various orders, and include 



