NO. 7 PROTECTIVE ADAPTATIONS — McATEE 93 



But why this conclusion? The more than 12,000 records of ant- 

 eating by the birds represented in our tabulations certainly indicate 

 no sort of immunity on the part of ants from the attacks of 1)irds. 

 These records are shared by well over 300 species of birds which, 

 practically speaking, means that all birds eat ants. Ninety-three of 

 the species of birds represented in our tabulations have from 10 to 

 49 records of ant-eating each, 18 others from 50 to 99. 17 others 

 from 100 to 199, four additional over 300. and one additional species, 

 the eastern flicker, in excess of 500. All these records are among the 

 Formicoidea further unidentified, three-fourths of the total for all 

 ants. From 200 to 300 ants at a meal is a common number ; the 

 swallows often get 800 or more; the nighthawk i.ooo; and wood- 

 peckers 2,000 or more. In two cases stomachs of flickers yielded more 

 than 3,000 ants each, and in one case more than 5,000. Out of 684 

 stomachs of this last named species, 524 contained ants. 



In this connection the extent to which ants enter into the diet of 

 certain birds is of considerable interest ; our five species of thrushes 

 of the genus Hylocichla consume ants to an average of 12.65 P^^" ceut 

 of their total food, while 16 species of woodpeckers, the food of 

 which was tabulated by Prof. F. E. L. Beal, ate ants to extents vary- 

 ing from 5 to 85 per cent of their entire subsistence, the average for 

 the 16 species being 28.49 P^^ cent. 



The stinging ants, of course, are the most highly " protected " of 

 all and it is unfortunate for our discussion that the group is so 

 poorly represented in the United States. Myrmicidae, including 

 Ponerinae and Dorylinae. are more or less generally provided with 

 stings, which however in the most of our species are too small to 

 inflict damage on a human subject. Our tabulations show 1,200 

 records for Myrmicidae, and they are eaten in just as large numbers 

 as are other ants. The harvester ants of the genus Pogonornyrmcx 

 are larger and equipped with stings which can painfully wound a 

 human being. We have 66 records of these ants being taken by 25 

 species of birds ; no fewer than 200 and 400 individuals were taken 

 from the stomachs of two Texan nighthawks. Mitchell and Pierce 

 write of birds feeding freely on Pogonomyrmex and note a case of a 

 group of nesting jackdaws (Megaquiscahts) cleaning up a colony in 

 a short time. (Proc. Ent. Soc. Washington, vol. 14, no. 2, p. /2, 

 June, 1912.) 



Among the remaining, mostly stinging, Hymenoptera are the 

 Chrysididae, supposed to be protected by their hardness, abililty to 

 roll into a ball, and by metallic colors. We have 6i records of these 

 being eaten, shared by 27 species of birds. The Vespoidea or wasps 



