13 



Beetles are taken each month of the year. Cutworms form a large 

 percentage of the food during the spring, whereas grasshoppers and 

 crickets form the largest part of the food during the summer and fall 

 months (Fig. 5, Fig. 6). Certain plant bugs, wild bees, wasps, ichneu- 

 mon flies, and ants are also taken to a less extent. Spiders, scorpions, 

 ant lions (Myrmeleon sp.), centipedes (Scoleopendra sp.), thousand- 

 pegged worms (Tulus sp.), and sowbugs have also been found. 



Grain has been been found in considerable quantity in the stomachs 

 of meadowlarks. Oats appears to be preferred, although wheat is often 

 found. The wild variety of oats (Avena fatua) far exceeds in amount 

 the cultivated varieties. Very little of that found in the stomachs is 

 sprouted. Field investigation showed that sprouted grain is often 

 crushed in the bill to get the milk, and then dropped on the ground. 



Seeds of the following common weeds have been taken from the 

 stomachs of western meadowlarks : 



Sorghum Andropogon sorghum. 



Canary-grass Phalaris sp. 



Darnel Lolium temulentum. 



Amaranth Amaranthus sp. 



Buttercup Ranunculus sp. 



Knotweed Polygonum sp. 



Mustard Brassica sp. 



Bur-clover Medicago denticulata. 



Clover Trifolium sp. 



Sweet clover Metilotus sp. 



Alfalfa Hedicago arabica. 



Dock Rumex crispus. 



Alfilaria Erodium cicutarium. 



Turkey weed Eremocarpus setigerus. 



Amsinckia Amsinckia intermedia. 



Nightshade Solanum sp. 



Bedstraw Galium sp. 



Tarweed Hemizonia sp. 



Star-thistle Centaurea melitensis. 



Zea Zca mays. 



The relative proportions of animal and vegetable matter taken by 

 western meadowlarks in California has been fairly well demonstrated 

 by the stomach examinations. The average amounts of the different 

 kinds of food consumed by 650 meadowlarks taken at six different local- 

 ities in the State (Red Bluff, Tehama County; Live Oak, Yolo County; 

 Newman, Stanislaus County; Hanford, Kings County; Big Pine, Inyo 

 County, and San Diego, San Diego County), when platted in the form 

 cf a curve, show the following results (Fig. 8). The minimum amount 

 of animal food (4.15 per cent) is taken in January, and the maximum 

 93.83 per cent) in July. During the spring months there is a sudden 

 increase in the amount of animal food taken, whereas a sudden decrease 

 is to be noted in the fall months. The percentage closely parallels the 

 availability of insect food. The maximum amount of cutworms is taken 

 in May and June ; the maximum' number of grasshoppers in July and 

 August. Grain as an element of food reaches a maximum in January 

 and a minimum during July. The maximum consumption of weed seeds 

 is in October. 



