46 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 85 



devour considerable numbers of the smaller cicadas, for example, 

 30 Okanagana rimosa were found in a nighthavv^k's stomach and from 

 19 to 41 Tihicina septendeciin in each of several crov^r stomachs. It is 

 of interest in this connection that adult as well as immature domestic 

 fowls have been killed by crop-binding due to eating too many cicadas. 

 (Weekly News Letter, U. S. Dep. Agr., vol. 6, no. 46, p. 14, June 18, 

 1919.) Wild birds, however, not only take large numbers of cicadas, 

 but feed on them steadily day after day when the chance comes. The 

 English sparrow and the crow blackbird are notable examples of this 

 and it has been concluded by entomologists that broods of the 

 periodical cicada issuing in parks and other places, where exposed to 

 concentrated attacks of these species, are doomed to extinction. 

 (Smith, J. B., Economic entomology, pp. 142-143, [1896] ; Mar- 

 latt, C. L., Bull. 90, U. S. Dep. Agr., p. lo, 1894.) 



Our records do not show whether any immature Cercopidae 

 (spittle insects) are eaten by birds, but the adults are taken by 41 

 species. One chimney swift had eaten about 100 cercopids of the 

 genus Clastoptera. Despite the numerous defenses they are said to 

 have, Membracidae were eaten by no fewer than 136 species of birds 

 represented in the present tabulation and in numbers up to 26 indi- 

 viduals in a single stomach. They have been found in 15 or more 

 stomachs of each of the following species : Least, great-crested and 

 ash-throated flycatchers, wood pewee, meadowlark, Brewer's black- 

 bird, Bullock's oriole, English sparrow, clifif swallow, red-eyed, soli- 

 tary, and warbling vireos, bush-tit, and ruby-crowned kinglet. The 

 tree hoppers identified belong to 21 dififerent genera, indicating that no 

 partiality is shown. Membracids with the most prominent horns and 

 spines of any in our fauna, such as those of the genera Campylcnchla, 

 Flatycotis, Thclia, Ceresa, and Platyccnfnis. are taken with the rest. 

 During stomach examinations 175 kinds of nearctic birds have yielded 

 leaf hoppers (Jassidae sens, lat.) and 10 or more stomachs of no 

 fewer than 35 species have disclosed them. In a number of cases 

 from 20 to 50 leafhoppers were found in single stomachs and in one 

 case (barn swallow) a thousand. 



The fulgorid fauna of the United States is scanty and our records 

 of birds feeding on these insects correspond. Beyond the fact that 

 they are well distributed through the various groups of the family 

 and pertain to 18 species of birds, there is little of special interest 

 concerning them. Some lesser yellow-legs had eaten from 50 to 

 400 each. The Psyllidae were found in the stomachs of 46 kinds 

 of birds and the Aphididae in 86. Cases are known in which the 



