1914] Bryant: Ecoiinmic Status of tlir Wrsfcrn McadoicIarJx' 423 



waste grain and of little economic importance. Meadowlarks are 

 not known to attack heads of grain. Whatever field grain is 

 taken is picked np from the ground. Damage done to sprouting 

 grain can result only during a limited period of time (two weeks). 

 After the second leaf appears no damage can result. 



Weed Seed 



Weed seed evidently forms the principal part of the vegetable 

 diet of this bird where or when grain is not available. The seeds 

 of such weed pests as tarweed, mustard, tumbleweed, Napa thistle, 

 pigweed, amaranth, canary grass, Johnson grass, foxtail, and 

 sunflower are consumed in large quantities. The seeds of such 

 forage plants as the burr-clover and filaree are commonly eaten. 

 The seeds of filaree {Erodium cicutarium) form the largest per- 

 centage of the weed seeds taken as food. 



A stomach has seldom been found completely filled with weed 

 seed, for some sort of grain, especially wild oats, is nearly always 

 available with the weed seeds. Nevertheless during the late fall 

 weed seeds make up a considerable part (twenty per cent) of 

 the diet. 



Grass has been occasionally found in the stomachs. Whether 

 or not it was taken intentionally it is impossible to state. Small 

 sprouts from sprouting grain and sprouting seeds have been 

 found in some instances. As a rule the seeds appear to be sep- 

 arated from the large sprouts when eaten. Small pieces of straw 

 and other vegetable fiber found in the stomachs can be classified 

 as rubbish picked up with the food. 



There has been a slight complaint that meadowlarks damage 

 sugar beets by feeding on the sprouting seeds. Mr. P. J. McCoy, 

 assistant manager of the Union Sugar Company, Betteravia, 

 California, says on this point: "I have noticed meadowlarks 

 in early spring in our beet fields, but noticed they were feeding 

 on insects. ' ' Stomach examination has failed to disclose any beet 

 seeds. The stomachs of birds collected in beet fields have been 

 found filled with insects. 



Quantity destroyed. — The maximum consumption of weed 

 seed occurs in October, when nearly one-fourth of the food is 

 made up of this kind of food. Weed seed amounts to five and 



