228 Kennedy, Fruit-eating Hal/its of the Sage Thrasher [April 



Thinking that the Sage Thrashers' preference for sour tastes 

 might extend to their insect diet, locusts and ants were tasted. A 

 locust infusion had a delicate and suprisingly pleasant flavor but 

 without a trace of sourness, while the ants had a flavor almost 

 identical with that of castor oil. 



The Thrashers taken on August 20 were in the midst of moult, 

 while those taken on September 2 were nearly through moulting. 

 A severe gale (sand storm) occurred on September 14. On Sep- 

 tember 15 small flocks of Thrashers were seen in roadside weed 

 patches (an unusual place to find Thrashers), after which none were 

 seen except one lone Thrasher seen in the vineyard two diff. rent 

 days in November. 



The Thrashers were assisted to some extent in their depreda- 

 tions on the early grapes by Bullock's Orioles. After the Thrashers 

 had left for the south, Robins, while flocking preparatory to migrat- 

 ing, injured the very late grapes. 

 Sunnyside, Wash. 



■ Nos. 6-10 killed Sept. 2, 6:30 a m. 



