20 



FOOD HABITS OF THE GROSBEAKS. 



two or three days suffice to ruin a vineyard." These insects have 

 very long and spiny legs, and opinions differ as to whether birds 

 eat them, some affirming that they do, others that they do not. As a 

 matter of fact, they are preyed upon by several wild birds, including 

 the yellow-billed cuckoo, crow blackbird, kingbird, phoebe, green- 



FiG. 14. — Rose beetle (Macrodactylus sulispinosus ) . (Pi'om Riley, Bureau of Entomology.) 



crested flycatcher, redheaded woodpecker, and cardinal, the last- 

 named being one of the most important of their enemies. Four of 

 the -birds examined during the present investigation had eaten rose- 

 beetles, each of them^taking several, and on July 5, 1906, the writer 

 watched a brood of young which were being fed rose-chafers, remains 



Fig. 15. — Flower eating scarabffiid (Euphoria inda). (From Ciiittenden, Bureau of 



Entomology.) 



of 17 being recovered from ejecta. These facts indicate that the 

 cardinal is so fond of the rose-beetle as to capture it whenever 

 possible. This habit of the bird, together with its inroads upon' the 

 vine-chafers of the family, are of considerable economic importance. 

 Next in importance among beetles in the diet of the cardinal 

 grosbeak are the bronzy wood-borers (Buprestidse), which compose 



