The Food of B'rrds. _ 123 



two per cent, and five per cent., Lepidoptera thirteen per 

 cent, and seven per cent., Coleoptera thirteen and twelve, 

 Carabidfe four and five, leaf-chafers three and two, wire- 

 worms three and a trace, snout-beetles two and one, He- 

 il^iptera three and two, Orthoptera four and three, Arachni- 

 da a trace and two, Myriapoda a trace and three ; raspber- 

 ries and blackberries fourteen and twenty-four, cherries 

 eighteen and twelve, currants three and one, grapes eleven 

 and three, and strawberries — none by the robin and one per 

 cent, by the catbird. From this it will be seen that the 

 notable differences in the food-habits of these birds are 

 the much larger ratios of ants, Diptera and berries eaten 

 by the catbird ; and of Lepidoptera, wireworms, cherries 

 and grapes eaten by the robin. It also appears that the 

 catbird has a much more hearty appetite for spiders and 

 thousand-legs than the rol)in. 



It is not likely that there is any such active competition 

 for food between these two species as this close agreement 

 in the kinds taken at the same place and season would im- 

 ply. The stress of the robin's struggle for subsistence evi- 

 dently comes in early spring, before the advent of the cat- 

 bird ; and by the time the latter appears there is probably 

 an abundance of food for both species. The earlier de- 

 parture of the catbird likewise prevents any stringent 

 competition in the later months. 



Economic Relattons. 



Remembering that the chief economic service of the 

 robin is done before and after the midsummer wealth of 

 fruits tempts it from the chase of insects, we find it not 

 unreasonable that the catbird, coming later and departing 

 earlier, scarcely anticipating the garden fruits in its arrival 

 and disappearing when the vineyard and orchard are at 

 their best, should be a much less useful bird than its com- 

 panion. The credit I have given it must be still further 

 reduced because of its serious depredations in the apple 

 orchard. I have often seen it busily scooping out the fair- 

 est side of the ripest early apples, unsurpassed in skill 

 and industry at this employment by the red-headed wood- 

 pecker or the bluejay. 



