46 BULLETIN" 862, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



tinctoria) to the extent of 50, 60, and 70 per cent, respectively, of 

 their stomach contents. These roots are said to be fed upon quite 

 extensively by other waterfowl in that locality. 



Several stomachs from southeastern Missouri contained from 1,000 

 to nearly 10,000 seeds each of lizard's-tail (Saururus cernuus), while 

 others, chiefly from Louisiana swamps, held thousands of the small 

 seeds of the primrose willow (Jussiaea sp.). The flat seeds of water- 

 penny (Hydrocotyle sp.) were present in 44 stomachs, but never in 

 large numbers. Among the other aquatic plants whose seeds were 

 commonly taken were the water milfoils ( Myriophyllum sp., Pro- 

 serpinaca sp., and Hippuris vulgaris), pickerel weed (Pontederia cor- 

 data), fog-fruit (Lippia sp.), and swamp loosestrife (Decodon ver- 

 ticillatus). Seeds of wild heliotrope (Heliotr opium indicum) and 

 croton (Croton sp.) were found in 22 and 16 stomachs, respectively. 



Many woodland shrubs, trees, and vines in addition to those 

 already mentioned were represented by their seeds in a few stomachs 

 each, or by only a few seeds in many stomachs. These included hollies 

 (Ilex spp.), sumachs (Rhus spp.), supple jack (Berchemia scandens), 

 buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica), tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica and N. 

 aquatica), dogwoods (Cornus spp.), storax (Styrax. sp.), myrtles 

 ( Myrica cerifera and other species), hawthorns (Crataegus spp.), bram- 

 bles (Rubus spp.), hornbeam. (Carpinus caroliniana) , sweet gum 

 (Liquidamber styraciflua) , greenbriar (Smilax sp.), and a few others. 



Animal Food. 



The wood duck's animal food, which amounted to 9.81 per cent of 

 the total, consisted chiefly of the following items: Dragonflies and 

 damselflics and their nymphs, 2.54 per cent; bugs, 1.56; beetles, 

 1.02; grasshoppers and crickets, 0.23; flies and ants, bees, and wasps, 

 0.07; miscellaneous insects, 0.97; spiders and mites, 0.63; crusta- 

 ceans, 0.08; and miscellaneous animal matter, 2.71 per cent. Thus, 

 nearly two-thirds of the animal food consisted of insects. 



DRAGONFLIES (ANISOPTERA); AND DAMSELFLIES (ZYGOPTERA), 2.54 PER CENT. 



The food of 72 wood ducks included the remains of dragonflies and 

 damselflics or their nymphs. The nymphs or larvae are much more 

 commonly taken than the adults, as they are easier to catch. The 

 food from this group of insects averaged 10.44 per cent of the total 

 for 9 wood ducks taken in April, and 8.75 per cent for the 16 in March. 

 During the remainder of the year much smaller quantities were taken. 



BUGS (HETEROPTERA AND HOMOPTERA), 1.56 PER CENT. 



Bugs, chiefly aquatic, are a very constant item of food for the wood 

 duck, at least 17 families being represented in the contents of the 

 stomachs examined. Of these the most important were the creep- 



