1919] 



Plath: Blood-sucking Fly Larvae in Birds' Nests 



197 



The death of six other nestlings, including the four which had 

 died in 1913, could be traced with more or less certainty to the muscid 

 larvae, as in the case of the three linnets whose skeletons I found and 

 the two goldfinches used for experimenting. One of these six nestlings, 

 a nearly full fledged California linnet (Carpodacus mexicanus frontalis 

 [Say] ), was discovered when it had been dead only a short time. A 

 number of fly larvae had actually penetrated into its body. The nest 

 in which this dead bird was found contained another nestling of the 

 same brood. Though apparently rather weak, this nestling took wing 



TABLE 1 



Nests 

 Species of bird examine 



Nuttall sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys 

 nuttalli Eidgway) 4 



California purple finch (Carpodacus pur- 

 pun us calif ornicus Baird) and Cali- 

 fornia linnet (Carpodacus mexicanus 

 frontalis (Say) 31 



Green-backed goldfinch (Astragalinus 

 psaltria hesperophilus Oberholser) 13 



Willow goldfinch (Astragalinus tristis 

 salicamans (Grinnell) 7 



California brown towhee (Pipilo crisalis 

 crisalis (Vigors) 8 



Totals 63 



TABLE 2 

 Species of bird L.ir 



California purple finch (Carpodacus pur- 20, 

 pureus californicus Baird), and Cali- 

 fornia linnet (Carpodacus mea icanus 81 

 frontalis (Say) 



California brown towhee (Pipilo crisalis 

 crisalis (Vigors) 



Willow goldfinch (Astragal in us tristis 

 salicamans (Grinnell) 



Nuttall sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys 

 nut laili Bidgway) 



Green-backed goldfinch {Astragalinus 

 psaUria hesperophilus Oberholser) 



Total 



100% 



67% 

 61% 

 57% 

 25% 



(Fallen). 



siderably smaller but apparently more deadly species than Protocalliphora 



