10 LIFE-HISTORIES OF BIRDS 



objects of special regard by the Purple Grakle, 

 which visits the nest and carries off the tender 

 fledglings as articles of diet. The parents provide 

 for their physical wants during a period of 18 

 days, when they are driven from the nest to earn 

 their own livelihood. 



The following insects constitute an important 

 part of the food of the young: Earth worm (Lum- 

 bricus terrcstris), ground beetle (Lachnosterna 

 qucrcind), measuring worms (Gcometra catenaria 

 of Harris, Anisopteryx vernata, Eufitckia ribearid), 

 Dryocampa rubicunda, rose slug (Selandria rosce), 

 sulphur butterfly (Colias philodice], cabbage but- 

 terfly (Pieris olcraccce), in their larval conditipn ; 

 besides various dipterous insects as the house fly 

 (Afusca domestica), white-lined horse fly (Tabanus 

 lincola], stable fly (Stomoxys calcitrans], mosquito 

 {Culex t(eniorhynchus\&h& others. Add to these 

 the fruits of the several varieties of cherry (Pnums 

 cerasus], the strawberry {Fragaria virginiana) , and 

 the various species of Rubus or blackberry, and 

 you have a bill of fare not to be despised. As the 

 young increase in size and strength other articles 

 are added to their diet. 



Of all species the Robin is pre-eminently insect- 

 ivorous. It is true that it will feed upon seeds 

 and berries when insect-food cannot be obtained. 

 Besides the berries mentioned above we have 

 found it feeding upon R^tbus villosns and Rubus 

 canadcnsis among blackberries; the wild choke- 

 cherry (Pnmus scrotina), the cedar (jfunipems 



