BIRDS IN RELATION TO THE ALFALFA WEEVIL. 9 



ing dove can not be considered an effective enemy of the weevil, it 

 renders service to man in the consumption of weed seeds, and as 

 long as it does not become unduly abundant in grain fields its 

 presence is desirable. 



The vegetable food of the birds examined was largely weed seeds. 

 Among these were those of amaranth (Amaranthus blitoides, A. 

 retroflexus and A. albiis), filaree (Erodium eicidctrium) , cockle 

 (Vaccaria vaccaria), pigweed (C henopodium sp.), ragweed (Am- 

 brosia artemisiifolia) , thistle (Carduus sp.), smartweed {Polygonum 

 sp.), and sunflower (Helianthus sp.). 



RED-SHAFTED FLICKER. 



(Colaptes cafer collar-is.) 



The red-shafted nicker is sparingly distributed through the Salt 

 Lake Valley, though the constantly increasing supply of suitable 

 nesting sites caused by the growth of trees in the irrigated portion 

 bids fair to increase its abundance. 



Of the three birds examined, two had fed on the alfalfa weevil, a 

 trace of an adult being present in each case. Ants, its favorite food, 

 composed practically the entire contents of each of the stomachs. In 

 one were no less than 390 adults and 190 pupse of the small dark 

 brown ant, Myrmica scabrinodis. 



Although the flicker is the most terrestrial of woodpeckers it 

 does little toward the reduction of the weevil, as it lives chiefly on 

 ants. In this it doubtless is working for the best interests of man, 

 as many large harvest ants of the West (Pogonomyrmex) do con- 

 siderable damage to grain and forage, not only by cutting down the 

 crop for a space of several feet about their domicile, but by building 

 nests which menace the operation of the mower or reaper. 



ARKANSAS KINGBIRD. 



( Tyrannus verticalis. ) 



The Arkansas kingbird probably is the most abundant and evenly 

 distributed flycatcher in the Salt Lake Valley. Though it is more 

 at home in arid districts, the writer met it in great abundance about 

 ponds where flying insects furnished ample food. 



Of ten birds secured four had eaten weevils, but not more than 

 three were found in any one stomach. The small number is probably 

 due to the fact that flycatchers are necessarily limited in this work 

 to the short period when the weevil is on the wing, as also are swal- 

 lows. The small cicada (Platypedia putnwmi) was a favorite food 

 of these birds. 



43778°— Bull. 107—14 2 



