of reproduction influences the amount of damage due to the number of 

 individuals to be expected in any locality. 



STUDIES OF THE FOOD OF BIRDS. 



No small part of the field work has consisted in investigations of the 

 damage caused by birds. In most cases the field work has been sup- 

 plemented by stomach examinations. 



Investigations of the damage caused by meadowlarks has led to the 

 following conclusions : 



1. The western meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) is destructive in 

 sprouting grainfields, because of its habit of drilling down beside the 

 sprout and pulling up the kernel. The amount of damage done is 

 dependent on the particular location, the abundance of the birds, the 







. 



P'IG. 1. Holes drilled by western meadowlarks in pulling sprouting grain. Photo- 

 graph taken by H. C. Bryant, at Lathrop, San Joaquin County, California, Feb- 

 ruary 28, 1912. 



character of the soil, and the kind of grain. The damage to oats ijs 

 greatest ; wheat suffers considerable damage, whereas barley suffers but 

 little. Broadcasted grain suffers more than drilled, because not being 

 sowed so deeply, it is more easily obtained by meadowlarks. The birds 

 often follow the drill row, however, and pull almost every kernel 

 (Fig. 1). Occasionally, where meadowlarks are very numerous and the 

 quantity of grain small, fields have had to be resown. The real amount 

 of damage done has evidently been overestimated, for fields apparently 

 badly damaged have given the average yield later in the year. After 

 the second and third leaf appears on the grain, the bird can do little 

 damage. This fact reduces the duration of their depredations to less 

 than two weeks, and consequently minimizes the amount of destruction 

 possible. 



