SPRING PRACTICE IN ECONOMIC ZOOLOGY. 27 



Orchard plant lice, which are just beginning to appear in force 

 in early May, are devoured in great numbers by warblers and 

 vireos . 



Sparrows, Finches, Buntings and Grosbeaks: Usually small 

 and sober colored birds, nearly all of which are valuable. Weed 

 seed and insects make up the bulk of the food for the majority of these 

 species. The Pine Grosbeak and the Purple Finch feed upon the buds 

 of orchard and forest trees, but probably compensate for the dam- 

 age in generous measure by their consumption of insects and weed 

 seed. The English Sparrow is the most questionable member of 

 the family. This bird destroys the buds and blossoms of fruit and 

 shade trees, eats largely of grain and cultivated fruit, and drives 

 our native birds away from their nesting places, taking pains also to 

 annoy the latter on all possible occasions. They feed their young 

 with a large proportion of insect food, but are not desirable neigh- 

 bors, all things considered. One method of fighting them is to 

 allow them to take possession of the boxes and nests that have been 

 prepared for other birds, and then periodically destroy their eggs 

 before any have time to hatch. After a year or two of this treat- 

 ment they are glad to leave the nests to the more valuable natives. 

 Poisoned wheat may be used for their destruction, but care must be 

 taken not to expose it for other birds, and it must therefore be sown 

 in small quantities where the sparrows will find it and devour all. of 

 it. Prepare the wheat as follows: Dissolve two drams of strych- 

 nine in three quarts of boiling hot water and keep boiling until the 

 poison is all dissolved. Stir a peck of wheat into the water and 

 allow to stand for 48 hours. Then spread the swelled grain over 

 the bottom of a pan or in paper plates and allow to dry in the oven 

 of a hot stove, stirring the while to prevent scorching. The birds 

 will not eat scorched grain. Snowy, cold weather is the best time 

 for spreading the bait. 



Orioles, Blackbirds and Jays: The Orioles are very valuable 

 insectivorous birds. Blackbirds are also of value. Even the Crow 

 Blackbird or Bronzed Grackle does far more good than harm, 48 

 percent of its food consisting of animal matter, chiefly insects. 

 The Red-winged Blackbird eats insects to the extent of 26 percent 

 of its food. Weed seed comprises 57 percent and grain 13 percent. 

 The Blue Jay eats nuts (acorns, chestnuts, etc,,) to the extent of 

 about 42 percent of its food, devours considerable grain, also the 

 eggs and young of smaller birds, and insects to .the amount of 19 

 percent of its food. Owing to the harm it does to other birds, it is 

 probably more injurious than beneficial. The Bobolink is a valua- 

 ble bird in the north, subsisting almost wholly on insects and weed- 

 seed; but in the south it is a scourge to the rice growers. 



