BIRDS IN RELATION TO THE ALFALFA WEEVIL. 59 



are out of its reach, except when the crop has been cut. At such 

 times larvae which have been dislodged and are seeking new feeding 

 places are quickly seized by the hungry toad. After raking, the same 

 condition prevails until the larvae have again established themselves 

 and become practically stationary during their feeding operations. 

 Mr. E. G. Titus records having examined the stomach of a toad found 

 in a recently cut field. 1 Over 800 larvae had been eaten by this 

 batrachian, " and there was also present a mass of more or less 

 digested animal matter which apparently contained a good many 

 more larvae. From this same toad there were also taken 75 (adult) 

 weevils, and there were in the partly digested mass the wing covers 

 of more weevils." Though the writer collected toads which had eaten 

 a considerable number of larvae, none had equaled this remarkable 

 record. 



Twenty-eight specimens of this toad were collected, 2 in April, 8 in 

 May, and 18 in June. 



Each of the two taken in April had fed on the adult weevil, one 

 having eaten 9 and the other 20, which amounted to over a fifth of 

 their food. Besides this they had fed on several ground beetles of 

 the genera Harpalus, Amara, and Pterostichus. These formed over 

 half of the stomach contents. In one stomach was also a large crane 

 fly, and in the other a mass of ants. 



Seven of the eight toads collected in May had eaten the weevil, 

 adults in all cases but one. In bulk this element formed nearly 15 per 

 cent of the food and was taken on an average of about 10 for each 

 toad. Thirty-eight adults was the highest number recorded for an 

 individual. Besides the weevil a large quantity (30 per cent) of 

 ground beetles, mostly of the genera previously mentioned, was con- 

 sumed. Ants occurred in seven stomachs, forming nearly 18 per cent 

 of the food. Click beetles (Drasterius elegans and M ' onocrepidius 

 vespertinus], which were abundant in some sections, and do serious 

 injury to such crops as corn and wheat, were eaten freely. Even the 

 large sluggish cutworm so common in alfalfa fields was also taken. 



Sixteen of the 18 toads secured in June had fed on the weevil to 

 the extent of about a twelfth of their food, and at an average of 

 about 15 adults and 1^ larvae apiece. One had devoured 83 of the 

 adults and another had made away with 28 adults and 15 larvae. 

 Ground beetles were eaten by every one of the toads and formed 

 nearly a fourth of the food. One toad had taken no less than 68 

 Amara fallax, which at times are injurious to vegetation. Ants 

 were present in all but two of the stomachs and in bulk amounted to 

 over 21 per cent. Among these were found many specimens of the 

 western harvest ant (Pogonomyrmex occidentalis] . Numerous other 



iBull. 110, Utah Agr. Coll. Bxp. Sta., p. 50, Sept., 1910. 



