88 



THE WINTER FOOD OF THE CHICKADEE 



as to its identity. Another larva commonl}' found was one 

 which winters over on the twigs in a small silken case, as 

 shown in the light spots in Fig. S. The bark beetles of the 



family Scolytidce^ which are destruct- 

 ive to forests all over our country, were 

 also freely eaten by the chickadees. 

 Some birds which had passed through 

 the pine woods of the College farm were 

 found to have eaten manv of these bee- 

 ties, the precise species being deter- 

 mined by Mr. E. A. Swarz of the 

 United States Department of Agricul- 

 ture, as Pltyogenes sparsus Lee. So 

 much of the time of these birds is spent 

 in tlie woods that it is evident that 

 they are of great benefit in destroying 

 bark-beetles and other pests of forest 

 trees. 



The hairy skins of the fruit of the 

 common wild sumachs were among the 

 most abundant elements of the vegeta- 

 ble food present. The edible portion 

 of these fruits is evidently eaten to a 



Fig. 4. Egg-mass of Amer- 

 ican Tent Caterpillar. 

 (These eggs are eaten by 

 Chickadees.) 



considerable extent throus[hout the win- 

 ter. 



The Results in Detail 



On the assumption that the scientific details of this study of 

 the chickadee's food will not be of especial interest to the gen- 

 eral reader, the following records are printed in smaller type, 

 and may be passed over by any one who cares only for the gen- 

 eral results. 



But one specimen taken in November (the 12th) was studied. It 

 had been killed after a tour through the tops of the pines in the Col- 

 lege woods, and the stomach was chiefly filled with the fragments of 

 small beetles belonging to the family of bark beetles (Scoh'fidcE). 

 These were estimated to form 85 per cent, of the entire contents. 

 There were also five large eggs of an insect which were identified by 



