FOOD OF SOME WELL-KNOWN BIKDS. 



27 



than 500 stomachs were examined. The food consists of 23 per cent 

 of animal matter to 77 per cent of vegetable. This is the average 

 diet for the year, but stomachs taken in the summer show a higher 

 percentage of animal matter. Thus 65 stomachs collected, in North 

 Carolina and Cali- 

 fornia in the three 

 summer months 

 show 49 per cent 

 of animal matter. 



Animal food. — 

 Beetles amount to 

 per cent, and 

 with the exception 

 of two ladybirds 

 (Coccinellidse) not 

 a useful species was 

 identified among 

 them. Weevils 

 make up the bulk 

 of the item, and a 

 species of scolytid 

 or engraver beetle 

 (Phlmosinus punc- 

 tatus) was found 

 in one stomach. 

 Hymenoptera are 

 represented mostly 

 by ants, with a few 

 wasps, amounting 

 in all to a little 

 more than 2 per 

 cent of the food. 

 Caterpillars are 

 apparently the fa- 

 vorite insect food, 

 forming 9.4 per 

 cent of the diet. 

 One. stomach taken 

 in California in Augiist contained 67 per cent of them. Bugs, grass- 

 hoppers, a few other insects, and spiders make up the remainder of 

 the animal food, 7.3 per cent. 



Vegetable food., — Seeds of blackberries or raspberries, with a little 

 fruit pulp, were found in a few stomachs taken in the fall. This 

 was so late in the season that they probably had no economic value. 



606 



Fig. 12. — Junco or snowbird. 



