THE VEGETABLE FOOD OF BIRDS. 29 



Cultivated grains are consumed in varying quantities by a 

 large number of birds, though comparatively few commit 

 appreciable depredations, the grain eaten being generally 

 gleaned alter harvest. All varieties of small grain, such as 

 wheat, rye, oats, and related kinds, are taken without apparent 

 discrimination. The birds that habitually feed upon them 

 are those already named as eaters of the larger seeds, — 

 crows, jays, blackbirds, pigeons, prairie-chickens, and other 

 members of the grouse family, sparrows, meadow-larks, 

 horned larks, brown thrashers, towhees, and others. The 

 crows, blue-jays, blackbirds, and English sparrows do con- 

 siderable harm at times, though it is probable that the insects 

 destroyed at other times by all except the English sparrow 

 go far to compensate the loss. Pigeons and grouse are not 

 sufficiently abundant to do much damage. In the West wild 

 ducks and geese visit the grain-fields and sometimes cause 

 considerable injury by taking the sprouting seed from the 

 newly sown fields. During the fall migration the southern 

 rice-fields attract many birds. Foremost among these are the 

 bobolinks, or rice-birds as they are called in the South, and 

 blackbirds, both of which at this time are content to live by 

 rice alone. They assemble in countless flocks and commit 

 serious depredations against the rice-planters. Ducks and 

 other water-birds also resort to the rice plantations for a share 

 of the plunder, but what these get is generally compensated 

 for in the feathers and flesh that the owners obtain. 



Indian corn, or maize, on account of its larger kernels is 

 precluded from the food list of most of the sparrows, but 

 otherwise it has the same depredators as the smaller grains. 

 Among the casual devourers of maize are the woodpeckers 

 and nuthatches, which seem to prefer it to all other cereals. 



Cultivated grasses and clover seeds are frequently taken by 

 sparrows. Sunflower seeds are sought by the more arboreal 

 finches, like the purple finch, goldfinch, and the cross-bills. 

 In the garden we find that lettuce, turnip, and similar seeds 



