OF EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA. 355 



caution. It is eminently gregarious, and, like most 

 of its family relatives, is exceedingly terrestrial in 

 its habits of feeding; occasionally visiting, however, 

 small trees and bushes, more for repose than 

 aught else. It is chiefly a denizen of dense forests, 

 and waste fields overgrown with bramble bushes 

 and shrubs. 



Its flight is moderately lofty and quite well sus- 

 tained, resembling somewhat that of the Icteriinc?. 



The Cowbird subsists upon seeds, grains, and 

 berries of various kinds, besides divers insects. 

 We have detected in our examinations, the grains 

 of Triticum vulgare, Secale cereale, and Hordeum 

 vulgare; besides the seeds of Amarantus hybridus, 

 ^A. albus, Phleiim pratense, and Trifolium pratense. 

 The berries of Juniperus communis, J. Virginiana, 

 Pnmus serotina, Pnmus cerasus, Fragaria Vir- 

 giniana, Rubus villosus, R. strigosus, R. occidentalis, 

 Amelanchier canadensis, Vaccinium stamineum, and 

 Liquidanibar styracifliia^z devoured with a gusto. 

 The following insects constitute a portion of its 

 bill of fare : Diccelus dilatatus, Pangus caliginosus, 

 Cymindis viridipennis, Scaritcs subterraneus, Cra- 

 tonychus cinereus, C. pertinax, Harpahis pensylva- 

 nicus, Haltica chalybca, Macrodactyla subspinosa, 

 Cetonia inda, and other beetles; Formica sanguinea, 

 F. subtcrranca, Apis mellifica, Selandria ros&, &c., 

 among hymenoptera; besides aphides, diptera, 

 earthworms, and lepidopterous forms of Zerene 

 catenaria, Ennomos subsignaria, Chcerodes trans- 

 versata, Hybemia tiliaria, Utetheisa bella, Eiidryas 



