2 BULLETIN 1249, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



wooded country, and seeds or buds of shrubs and trees form a con- 

 siderable part of their diet. The snow bunting and longspurs are 

 prairie-feeding species, and the seeds of various grasses and weeds 

 form the bulk of their diet. The pipits are insectivorous. 



Discussion of the birds of the woodland group may be dismissed 

 with a few words. Too few stomachs of most of these species col- 

 lected in summer were available to permit conclusions to be drawn 

 regarding the food for that season. In the winter months, however, 

 during which these birds occur commonly in this country, the 

 evidence goes to show they do little good, and none was obtained 

 from stomach examination to indicate that they do any harm. Few 

 reports of damage inflicted by any birds of these species have been 

 recorded, bud-eating being the only source of complaint. Stomach 

 examination shows, however, that in no case is bud-eating a common 

 habit, but one for which local conditions of the food supply are 

 probably responsible. 



As for the snow bunting and the various species of longspurs, it 

 can only be said that what economic importance they are shown to 

 have is in connection with weed-seed destruction. While their 

 consumption of weed seed tends in a desirable direction, it is 

 doubtful whether it accomplishes much real good except locally 

 under unusual circumstances. Usually the birds eat only such seeds 

 as remain on the stalk or on the surface of the ground, and where 

 there is no cultivation many more weeds are likely to sprout and start 

 to grow than can possibly mature. As a result of this, many plants 

 are smothered by the few that survive, and it seems evident that 

 uncultivated ground invariably produces each year the maximum 

 number of' mature weed plants that the season, soil, and climatic 

 condition will allow. 



Collinge has shown by investigations in England that some at 

 least of the English finches are responsible for the spread of certain 

 weeds, because seeds capable of germination pass through the diges- 

 tive tract. Judd carried on a few experiments with English spar- 

 rows in this country and found that in no case were seeds voided in 

 a condition to germinate. As far as the crossbills, grosbeaks, red- 

 polls, and siskins are concerned there is little chance of seeds being 

 distributed, as these birds have the habit of shelling practically all 

 the seeds eaten. In the case of the longspurs and snow bunting it is 

 believed that from the condition of the seeds in their stomachs, very 

 few are passed in a condition to germinate. 



It seems that in this country, while these birds do little or no good 

 from an economic standpoint, they do no damage and may well be 

 left unmolested. 



The pipits, on the other hand, are found to be valuable insectivo- 

 rous birds. The common pipit and the Sprague pipit are similar in 

 appearance and probably have much the same habits, though study 

 material in the case of the latter is as yet insufficient to determine this 

 definitely. The common pipit is found to be a constant natural de- 

 stroyer of the white grub and the cotton-boll weevil, two of the worst 

 of southern crop pests. It is especially to the interest of southern 

 farmers to protect this bird at all times, as it is one of the most ef- 

 ficient bird enemies of the cotton-boll weevil. 



