28 



BULLETIN 171, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGBICULTUBE. 



COLEOPTERA— Continued. 



Aphodius granarius 3 



Aphodius lividus 1 



Aphodius inquinatus 5 



Aphodius pardalis 1 



Aphodius rubidus 3 



Aphodius sp 10 



Chrysomela sp 1 



Eulabis pubescens 1 



Blapstinus sulcatus 1 



Blapstinus dilatatus 2 



Blapstinus pratensis 1 



COLEOPTERA— Continued. 



Blapstinus pulverulentus 6 



Blapstinus sp 4 



Rhigopsis effracta 3 



Sitones hispidiceps 1 



8 (tones hispidulus l 



Balaninus sp 1 



HEMIPTERA. 



Saisselia olece 1 



Sinea diadema 1 



Vegetable food. — The vegetable food of the western bluebird, like 

 that of its eastern relative, consists largely of fruit, and mostly of 

 the wild species of hillside and canyon. Grapes, which may have 

 been cultivated, were foimd in 16 stomachs, all taken in late fall and 

 winter. Eubus fruits (blackberries or raspberries) were found in 4: 

 stomachs, prunes in 1, cherries in 1, and figs in 3. Most of these 

 were taken in late summer or fall and do not indicate extensive 

 ravages upon cultivated fruit. Of wild fruits, elderberries, found 

 in 25 stomachs, appear to be the favorites. Mistletoe berries made 

 up the entire contents of 7 stomachs, evidently a preferred article of 

 diet when they can be obtained. Fruit altogether amounts to 14.79 

 per cent of the food and nearly all is either wild or waste. Weed 

 seeds were eaten sparingly and irregularly, and amount to only 1.25 

 per cent of the food. Xo grain of any kind was found. A few odd 

 items like poison oak and other Rhus seeds, with a little rubbish, 

 make 2.04 per cent, and complete the vegetable food. 



Following is a list of the various items of vegetable food, with the 

 number of stomachs in which found : 



Elderberries (Sambucus sp.) 25 



California mistletoe (Phoradeiv- 



dron calif ornica) 7 



Dock {Rumex sp.) 1 



Smartweed (Polygonum sp.) 2 



Service bush (Amelanchier 



folia) 



alni- 



Blackberry or raspberry ( Rub us 

 sp.) 4 



Prune (Prwnus sp.) 1 



Cherry (Prunus sp. ) 1 



Grape (Vitis sp.) 16 



Dwarf sumac (Rhus copallina) 2 



Poison oak (Rhus diversiloba) 1 



Pepper tree (Schinus molle) 2 



Nightshade (Solatium sp.) 1 



Figs (Ficus sp.) 3 



Food of young. — Among the stomachs of western bluebirds exam- 

 ined were those of several nestlings about a week old. These were 

 of interest as showing how large a proportion of animal food is 

 given to the young. In one brood of six the only vegetable food 

 found was a single piece of plant stem, probably given accidentally 

 with other food, and properly classed as rubbish. The real food 

 consists of grasshoppers and crickets, 90 per cent, and beetles, 3 per 



