THE THRUSHES AXD THEIR ALLIES. 



101 



half of its food in fragments of corn and other grains and seeds 

 picked from the droppings of animals. This curious habit it 

 maintains throughout the year, evidently taking this food 

 from preference as well as from necessity. In fact, I have 

 often found these vegetable fragments associated with black- 

 berries in the food. After April this element averages about 

 sixteen per cent, throughout the season. Insects amount to 

 about half the food for each month, except in May, when 



THE BROWN THRUSH. 

 (After Biological Survey.) 



they rise to three-fourths, and in July, when they drop to 

 one-fourth. The excess in May occurs at the time of the 

 greatest number and activity of the beetles, and the diminu- 

 tion in July coincides with the period of the greatest abun- 

 dance of the small fruits. One-half the insects eaten are 

 beetles, which stand at one-fourth of the food in April and 

 June, rise to one-half in May, and fall to about one-eighth in 

 July and August. Half the beetles of the year are Scara- 

 baeidae, chiefly June-beetles and Euryoma, all taken previous 

 to July. Nearly one-fourth of the beetles are Carabidae, 

 which remain at about five per cent, of the food, except in 

 May, when they rise to ten per cent. Although the ratios 



