The Regulative Action of Bird.s upon Insect Oscillatiovji. 13 



Zamelodia ludoviciaka, L. Rose-breasted Grosbeak. 



Only two were seen, and both were killed. A very few canker- 

 worms were found (five per cent.) with fifty-eight per cent, of 

 other caterpillars. About half the fifteen per cent, of Coleoptera 

 were Rhyncliophora, the remainder being Anomala blnotata^ one 

 of the Lampyridae, and undetermined specimens. One-fifth of 

 the food consisted of seeds not recognized. 



Passerina cyanea, L. Indigo Bird. 



This bird, noted as common in 1881, was by far the most abun- 

 dant species in the orchard at the second visit. Eighteen speci- 

 mens were shot, two in the first and the remainder in the second 

 year. Although this bird is one of the typical finches, only three 

 per cent, of its food consisted of seeds, chiefly Setaria and Com- 

 posit}>?. Canker-worms made fifty-nine per cent., eaten by all the 

 birds but one, and other caterpillars an additional eight per cent. 

 With the exception of a trace of Hymenoptera, the remainder of 

 the food consisted entirely of beetles, about one-third of which 

 were Anomala hinotata. 



/S u m in a r y of the I'^ a >/^ / I y . 



Only seven per cent, of the food of the forty-seven members ot 

 this family (commonly called seed-eaters) consisted in fact of 

 seeds; and insects made up all but two per cent, of the remain- 

 der. The most interesting items on the general list are canker- 

 worms forty per cent., predaceous beetles (Carabida^) two per cent., 

 and Anoinala bitiotata six per cent. 



ICTERIDJE. Blackbirds. 



MOLOTHRUS ATER, Bodd. COWBIRD. 



A single wandering specimen of this bird contained only Scar- 

 abaeidfe, including Aphodius, and a few other Coleoptera, with 

 about sixty per cent, of corn and some seeds of Polygonum and 

 other plants. 



Agel^us phceniceus, L. Red-winged Blackbird. 



Two specimens of this bird, which were also accidentally in the 

 orchard, had fed about equally upon insects and upon wheat and 



