22 



BULLETIN 280, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



not further identified, and rubbish make up the rest of the vegetable 

 food (8.10 per cent). Among the seeds were some of the various 

 species of poisonous Rhus. These were found in 18 stomachs, mostly 

 from California. The dissemination of these seeds is unfortunate 

 from the standpoint of husbandry, but many birds engage in it, as 

 the waxy coating of the seeds is nutritious, especially in winter, when 

 fruit and insects are not easily obtainable. 



Following is a list of the components of the vegetable food so far 

 as identified, and the number of stomachs in which found : 



Cedar berries (Juniperus virginiana) __ 

 False Solomon's seal (Smilacina racc- 



mosa) 



False spikenard (Smilacina sp.) 



Greenbrier (Smilax walteri) 



Cat brier (Smilax bona-nox) 



Laurel-leaved greenbrier (Smilax lauri- 



folia) 



Other greenbriers (Smilax sp.) 



Wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera) 



Bayberries (Myrica carolinensis) 



Chinquapin (Castanea pumila) 



Western hackberries (Celtis occiden- 



talis) 



Other hackberries (Celtis sp.) 



Figs (Ficus sp.) 



Mulberries (Morus sp.) 



Mistletoe berries (Phoradendron villo- 



sum) 



Poke berries (Phytolacca decandra) 



Miner's lettuce (Montia perfoliata) 



Sassafras berries (Sassafras varifo- 



lium) 



Spice berries (Benzoin wstivale) 



Currants (Ribes sp.) 



Sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua) _ 



Chokeberries (Pyrus arbutifolia) 



Service berries (Amelanchier canaden- 

 sis) 



Hawthorn (Crataegus sp.) 



Strawberries (Fragaria sp.) 



Blackberries or raspberries (Rubus sp.)_ 



Rose haws (Rosa sp.) 



Wild black cherries (Prunus scrotina) _ 

 Three-seeded mercury (Acalypha vir- 



ginica) 



Staghorn sumach (Rhus typhina) 



Smooth sumach (Rhus glabra) — 



Dwarf sumach (Rhus copallina) 



1 



11 



1 



16 

 1 



Poison ivy (Rhus radicans) 3 



Poison oak (Rhus diversiloba) 15 



Laurel-leaved sumach (Rhus laurina) _ 2 



Other sumachs (Rhus sp.) 12 



Tepper berries (Schinus molle) 15 



American holly (Ilex opaea) 9 



Black alder (Ilex verticillata) 12 



Ink berries (Ilex glabra) 9 



Other hollies (Ilex sp.) 7 



Strawberry bush (Euonymus america- 



nus) 1 



Roxbury waxwork (Celastrus scan- 

 dens) 1 



Supple-jack (Berchemia volubilis) 2 



Coffee berries (Rhamnus calif ornicus) _ 



Woodbine (Psedera quinquefolia) 



Frost grapes (Vitis cordifolia) 



Wild grapes (Vitis sp.) 



Wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis) _ 



Flowering dogwood (Cornus ftorida) 



Rough-leaved dogwood (Cornus asperi- 



folia) 



Black gum (Nyssa sylvatica) 



Checkerberry (Qaultheria procumbens) _ 



Huckleberries (Gaylussacia sp.) 



Blueberries (Vaccinium sp.) 



Black nightshade (Solarium nigrum) 



Bittersweet (Solatium sp.) 



Goose grass (Galium aparine) 



Honeysuckle (Lonicera sp.) 2 



Indian currant (Symphoricarpos orbi- 



. culatus) 1 



Downy arrowwood (Viburnum pubcs- 



cens) 1 



Nanny berries (Viburnum lentago) 2 



Black elderberries (Sambucus cana- 

 densis) 4 



Red elderberries (Sambucus pubens) 3 



Fruit not further identified 60 



1 

 10 

 2 

 1 

 1 

 32 



1 

 1 

 12 

 4 

 4 

 1 



In looking over this list one is impressed with the fact that the 

 taste of human beings for fruit differs markedly from that of birds. 

 For example, Rhus seeds are hard and have little pulp to render them 

 palatable or nutritious. They are usually passed through the alimen- 

 tary canal of birds or regurgitated unharmed, and the slight outer 

 coating alone is digested. In the case of the poisonous species, this 

 outer coating is a white wax or tallow which appears to be very 

 nutritious, for these species are eaten much more extensively than 



