worms in viich, of coiu-sl', vai'iod, but as mauj as 

 twt'nt^'-two wei-e takeu t'roiu cue stouiacli. In seven 

 some eoni was found, in connection witli a very large 

 excess of insects, lo wit: Beetles, eartliworms and cut- 

 woi-ms. Tlic rcnminiiii; live showed clilciiy beetles. 



THEY F:AT .some FRT'IT. 



(Jinnmeut is frequently made with regard to the I'ur- 

 ple Ch-ackles, as these birds are sometimes called, pil- 

 laj^iug the cheri"y ti'ees. To scaue extent this is true, 

 but certainly the amount of fruit taken is small, far 

 less than that injured by the Cedar or Cherry Bird. 



Strawberries, blackberries and other fruits are fed 

 upon, but to a very limited extent, by this six'cies. 

 The diet of the young birds, while under parental cju'e, 

 is ;iliiicisi ( xclusively insectivorcns, (luisisting mainly 

 of c;ilci iiiUars and grubs. 



It is a well established fact that tiiey are given to 

 stealing the eggs of ether birds, especially the common 

 Robin; and sometimes they kill and devour the young 

 of other birds. 



In referring (o this sj)ecies, AVilson very aptly re- 

 marks: 



"As some cun.solatiiin to the industrious cultivator. I can 

 assure him that were I placed in his situation, I should hesi- 

 tate whether to consider these birds most as friends or enemies, 

 as they are particularly destructive to almost all the noxiou.s 

 worms, grubs and caterpillars that infest his fields, which, 

 were they allowed to multiply unmolested, would soon con- 

 sume nine-tenths of all productions of his labor and desolate 

 the country with the miseries of famine." 



Attention is called to several series of stomach ex- 

 aminations, made at different periods dui-ing the past 

 twelve years, and froaii sucii work the reader can draw 

 his own conclusitiiis. 



