30 



FOOD HABITS OF THE GROSBEAKS. 



Neither parasitic Hymenoptera nor predaceous beetles were found 

 in the stomachs examined, a showing much to the bird's credit. Only 

 one useful insert had been eaten, it belonging to the queer neurop- 

 teroid genus Mantispa, the members of which are rare. They are 

 predaceous when adult and when young are parasitic in the egg-sacs 

 of spiders. 



The. remainder of the animal food is composed of injurious species, 

 among which are important "pests. Beetles constitute 4.66 percent 

 of the food, weevils alone being 3.42. Of greatest interest among the 

 latter is the cotton-boll weevil {Anthonomus grandis, fig. 19), the 

 most serious agricultural pest of recent years. While the gray gros- 

 beak does not feed upon it regularly, nevertheless the habit of picking 

 it up when occasion offers is highly commendable. Among other 

 weevils eaten are additional species of curculionids and scarred snout- 

 beetles, including the same silvery-green and golden species {Comp- 



sus auricephalus ) 

 eaten by the cardi- 

 nal. 



Leaf beetles 

 (Chrysomelidae) 

 probably are next 

 in importance. The 

 parrot-bill is sharp- 

 eyed enough to find 

 a species {GMamys 

 plicata) of this 

 family that is noted 

 for the perfection 

 of its protective de- 

 vices. This little 

 beetle is curiously sculptured and has furrows in which all the appen- 

 dages fold, and, being bronzy in color, its resemblance to the drop- 

 pings of caterpillars is almost perfect. The Ghlamys sometimes feeds 

 upon raspberry leaves, but has never been found very injurious. 

 Nevertheless, it is entirely vegetarian, like all the other beetles of 

 the family, species of which, even if not at present positively injuri- 

 ous, are liable to become so at any time. The parrot-bill should re- 

 ceive nothing but praise for its destruction of leaf -beetles. 



Bronzy wood-borers (Buprestidae) and long-horned beetles 

 (Cerambycidae), both of which are destructive to forest and orchard 

 trees, also were found in stomachs of this species. 



Beetles, as a whole, are exceeded in amount by caterpillars, the 

 latter constituting 10.32 percent of the diet. One of the species 

 identified, namely, the cotton worm {Alabama argillacea, fig. 20), 

 has long been known as a great pest throughout the Southern States, 



Fig. 19. — Cotton-boII weevil (Anthonomus grandis). 

 Howard, Bureau of Entomology.) 



(From 



