No. 2.] Reprints and Miscellaneous Notes. gi 



inconsiderable one, and the largest part is made up of Noctuid larvae 

 or cutworms. These occur in many stomachs, usually singly or in 

 very small numbers, rarely forming the bulk of the food in any one 

 stomach and never the entire food. Noctuid pupae w^ere found only 

 in isolated cases. Larvae of the Pyralid, genus Crambus, which live 

 in silken tubes at the base of grasses, clover, etc., belong to the 

 family next best represented in number of specimens, and occur in 

 large numbers in a few stomachs. Bombycid larvae, and especially 

 Bombycid cocoons, come next, represented usually by single speci- 

 mens. The rest of the Lepidopterous families are represented only 

 by isolated specimens. Single images of Lepidoptera were found 

 in only a few instances, and most of these are evidently specimens 

 which had not yet issued from the chrysalis. 



8. Soldier bugs (Pentatomidae). — Although by no means repre- 

 senting a considerable portion of the insect food, the constantly 

 recurring presence of various species of soldier bugs constitutes a 

 characteristic feature in the food habits of the Crow. There are 

 many species representing various families of true bugs (Heterop- 

 tera) that occur commonly on or near the ground, but, with the 

 exception of these soldier bugs, only a few isolated specimens of a 

 few species were found in all the stomachs. It seems probable that 

 the strong odour or taste of these soldier bugs is the reason why 

 they are so eagerly sought by Crows. The condition in which the 

 specimens are found in the stomachs is also peculiar; for while the 

 Crows generally have the habit of crushing and breaking into frag- 

 ments all the hard insects they eat, these soldier bugs are almost 

 always broken up in extremely minute particles which in the well 

 filled stomachs are often liable to be overlooked. Owing to the 

 condition the exact determination of the species, as well as the 

 determination of the number of specimens, is impossible in most 

 cases.— -The soldier bugs thus found belong to Podisus^ Euschistul% 

 and allied genera. 



g. Ants (Formicidae). — As in the case of the soldier bugs, ants 

 form only a small proportion of the bulk of the insect food, but 

 their frequent occurrence in the stomachs suggests the explanation 

 that they are relished by the Crows on account of their peculiar acid 

 taste. Quite a number of species of various genera are represented, 

 the largest species, Campanotus pennsylvanicus and various species 

 of Formica, being most frequent. The presence of very small 

 species of ants is, in many instances, probably due to accident, as 

 has been mentioned on page 85, 



The following enumeration of insects, arranged according to 



