THE THRUSHES AND THEIR ALLIES. 95 



adult and pupal Hymenoptera, adult and larval Diptera, Co- 

 leoptera, and Lepidoptera, adult and nymphal Heteroptera, 

 Homoptera, and Orthoptera, adult Neuroptera (a small dragon- 

 fly), spiders, small snails, sowbugs, and Myriapods." In ad- 

 dition to this animal food, " a great majority of the fruits, 

 cultivated and uncultivated, which have a juicy nutritious 

 portion are included in the dietary of the robin.'" 



Concerning the fruit-eating proclivities of the robin, Mr. W. 

 J. Green, of the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station, writes : 

 "The capacity of the robin for berries is enormous, and 

 when hundreds come at once the grower suffers serious losses. 

 On the station grounds nearly all of the early raspberries and 

 blackberries are taken by the robins, and only in the height 

 of the season are there enough berries left to give the pickers 

 a chance to earn fair wages. If left to themselves the robins 

 would take the greater share of the black raspberries that 

 grow on a plantation of more than an acre. Growers in 

 other parts of the country have complained of losses quite as 

 large." 



The above accounts relate to the food of the adult robins. 

 We have next to consider that of the nestlings. Properly to 

 appreciate the importance of the latter, we must remember 

 that as far north as Massachusetts three broods of nestlings 

 are commonly reared ; that from early spring till late in the 

 summer each pair of old birds is engaged at least half of the 

 time in providing food for four, five, or six ravenous birdlings ; 

 and that each of the latter probably requires more food while 

 in the nest than does one of the adults during the same period. 

 It seems to us that the chief claim of the robin upon man's 

 favor rests upon these facts. 



In 1884 we examined the stomach contents of six young 

 robins from Michigan nests. The largest single element of 

 the food consisted of cutworms and related caterpillars, which 

 formed twenty-seven per cent, of the total dietary. Among 

 other insects present were seven per cent, of beetles, includ- 



