FOOD OF ROBINS AND BLUEBIRDS. 



13 



but in such small quantities as to prove that they are not greatly 

 relished. Apparently robins never are satisfied for any length of 

 time without fruit or berries. Sparrows, blackbirds, and many 

 other species thrive on dry seeds; not so robins. If berries are not 

 at hand they move on to seek them. Sparrows remain in the north 

 in severe weather, even when the ground is deeply covered with 

 snow, if they can obtain plenty of seeds for food ; but robins require 

 for northern winter quarters a swamp where cedar, smilax, holly, 

 etc., promise both shelter and food. 



The robin among birds is one of the most efficient disseminators of 

 fruit seeds. While small seeds like those of the raspberry and 

 strawberry pass directly through the alimentary canal, larger seeds, 

 like the stones of cherries, dogwood, pepper berries, china berries, 

 and hackberries, are disgorged after the pulp is digested. In the 

 Southern States it is common to see rows of cedar trees along 

 fences where seeds have been dropped by perching birds, and lines 

 of trees often mark the site of a fence which has long since dis- 

 appeared. Seeds that have .passed through the alimentary canal 

 of birds or other animals do not appear to have their vitality im- 

 paired, and it has even been asserted that they germinate more 

 readily than those sown directly from the tree. 



Following is a list of vegetable substances found in the food of 

 robins and the number of stomachs in which found : 



Saw palmetto (Sabal serrulata) 2 



Western juniper (Juniperus mono- 



spermum) 2 



Red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) _ 18 

 Common juniper {Juniperus com- 

 munis) L 3 



Panic grass (Panicum sp.) 3 



Pigeon grass (ChcetocMoa sp.) 3 



Rice (Oryza sativa) 1 



Corn (Zea mays) 8 



Oats (Avena sativa) 2 



Wheat (Triticum vulgare) 3 



Carrion flower (Smilax herbacea)- 2 



Green brier (Smilax bona-nox) 15 



Saw brier (Smilax glauca) 3 



Cat brier (Smilax sp.) 17 



Bay -berries (Myrica carolinensis)- 6 



Fig (Ficus sp.) 3 



Western hackberries (Celtis occi- 



dentalis) 22 



Mississippi hackberries ( Celtis mis- 

 sis sippiensis) 24 



Hackberries unidentified ( Celtis 



sp.) 8 



Mulberries (Morus sp.) 19 



Mistletoe berries (Phoradendron 



californicum) 3 



Dock (Rumex sp.) : 1 



Pale persicaria (Polygonum la- 



pathifolium) 3 



Smart weed (Polygonum sp.) 1 



Amaranth (Amaranthus sp.) 2 



Pokeberries (Phytolacca decan- 



dra) 15 



Stellaria (Alsine sp.) 1 



Barberries (Berberis vulgaris) 1 



Red bay (Persea borbonia) 1 



Spice berries (Benzoin benzoin) 3 



Sassafras ( Sassafras variifolium ) _ 1 



Currants (Ribes sp.) 12 



Apple (Pyrus mains) 8 



Crab apple (Pyrus diversifolia) 1 



Mountain ash (Pyrus americana) _ 7 

 Western June berries (Amelanchier 



florida) 2 



Alder-leaved June berries (Amelan- 

 chier alnifolia) 2 



Service berries (Amelanchier cana- 

 densis) 12 



June berries (Amelanchier sp.) 3 



