1914] Bryant: Economic Status of (he Western Mcadoirlark 4o5 



The follo^ving table gives the food of the western meadowhirk 

 in these districts : 



Table Showing Variation or Food According to Districts 



Number Per cent Per cent 



of animnl vegetable 

 bii-ds food food 



Humid Coast Belt 99 59.0 41.0 



Interior valleys 7S5 61.8 38.2 



Mountain district 27 69.6 30.4 



Arid Coast Belt 536 58.5 41.5 



Desert 58 63.0 37.0 



By considering only those localities where complete or nearly 

 complete series were obtained, a still more marked difference 

 could be noted. If the results from an examination of more 

 birds from the humid coast belt and mountain districts were 

 available, the results would show a larger amount of animal food. 

 The remarkable thing is that, considering the widely different 

 climatic conditions, the food averages do not vary more than ten 

 per cent. 



Influence op Age and Sex on Qu.vntity of Food Taken 

 As the male weighs an ounce (28.35 grams) more than does 

 the female, a difference of one-half cubic centimeter in capacity 

 is accounted for. Juveniles average less food than adults. This 

 is explainable on the ground that they are less experienced in 

 obtaining food. Male and female nestlings apparently have more 

 nearly the same capacity than do adults of different sexes. 



A slight variation has been noted between the food of adults 

 and j'oung birds, both in kind and quantity. Young birds ap- 

 parently lack the experience of the adults and pick up only the 

 more conspicuous insects and weed seeds. They also lack the 

 experience needed for catching certain insects, and therefore the 

 stomachs average a little less in volume of food. It has been 

 pointed out by Finn (1887) "that each bird has to separately 

 acquire its experience, and it well remembers what it has 

 learned." There appears to be little instinctive knowledge of 

 the different kinds of food, and each young bird must test and 

 learn. It would seem, therefore, that young birds would collect 

 many so-called protected insects, whereas some experienced ones 



