120 Correspondence. Ljan 



of wild berries and other wild small fruits. The California and other west- 

 ern species of quails have of course quite similar habits, but prove to be 

 more or less destructive locally, from their great numbers, to certain farm 

 crops, as grains and fruits, and especially grapes. They likewise destroy 

 large quantities of weed seeds and injurious insects, but are, on the whole, 

 considerably less insectivorous than the Bobwhites. 



The Horned Larks in reference to their relation to agriculture have re- 

 cently been studied by Mr. W. L. McAtee. 1 He finds that about 20 per 

 cent, of their food consists of insects, ranging from less than two per cent, 

 in the winter months to over 50 per cent, during some of the summer 

 months. The rest is vegetable matter, consisting largely of the seeds of 

 weeds and other useless plants, practically no cultivated fruit being taken, 

 and the amount of grain that enters into their fare is a negligible quantity, 

 although at some localities in California complaints have been made of 

 their depradation upon newly-sown wheat. It is found, in fact, that the 

 California horned larks differ markedly from those of other parts of the 

 country in the high percentage of grain they consume, being three times 

 that of the larks of other localities. On the whole, however, says the ver- 

 dict: "So small in amount is the grain thus taken and over such restricted 

 areas that, aside from the fact that at small expense all damage can be 

 prevented, the loss bears no comparison to the benefits conferred. The 

 horned lark by its services to agriculture earns a right to live, and deserves 

 protection at the hands of man." — J. A. A. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



On the Criticism of Heft III of ' Die Vogel der palaarktischen 

 Fauna.' 



To the Editors of 'The Auk': 



Dear Sirs: — It has always been a pleasure to me to see that my ornitholog- 

 ical writings have been looked upon favourably in America, and I am anxious 

 that they are fully understood in your country, because I have a very high 

 opinion of most of the ornithological work done in America. This is the rea- 

 son why I wish to say a few words about the generally kind review of Part III 

 of my book on the birds of the palsearctic fauna, in ' The Auk,' Vol. XXII, p. 

 428. The reviewer takes exception to my " conservatism " in respect to gen- 



iThe Horned Larks in their Relations to Agriculture. By W. L. McAtee, Assistant, 

 Biological Survey. U. S. Department of Agriculture, Biological Survey, Bull. No. 

 23. 8vo, pp. 37, 2 plates, and 13 text cuts. 



