OF EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA. 355 



caution. It is eminently gregarious, and, like most 

 of its family relatives, is exceedingly terrestrial in 

 its habits of feeding; occasionally visiting, however, 

 small trees and bushes, more for repose than 

 aught else. It is chiefly a denizen of dense forests, 

 and waste fields overgrown with bramble- bushes 

 and shrubs. 



Its flight is moderately lofty and quite well sus- 

 tained, resembling somcvhat that of the Icieriincs. 



The Cowbird subsists upon seeds, grains, and 

 berries of various kinds, besides divers insects. 

 We have detected in our examinations, the grains 

 of Triticum vulgare, Secale cereale, and Horiieum 

 vulgarc; besides the seeds oi Amarantus hybndus, 

 A.albus, Phleum pratense, and Trifolium pralense. 

 The berries of yuniperus communis, J. Virginiana, 

 Pruntis serotina, Pnmus cerasus, Fragaria Vir- 

 giniana, Rubtcs villosus, R. strigosus, R. occidentalism 

 Amelanchier canadensis, Vacch-mim stamineum, and 

 Liqniddmbar siyraciflua,^re devoured with a. gusto. 

 The following insects constitute a portion of its 

 bill of fare : — Diccelus dilatatus, Pangus caliginosus, 

 Cymindis viridipennis, Scarites subterranetis, Cra- 

 tonychus cinereus, C. pertinax, Harpalus pensylva- 

 nicus, Haltica chalybea, Macrodactyla subspinosa, 

 Cetonia inda, and other beetles ; Foi^mica sanguinea, 

 F. subteri''anea. Apis mellifica, Selandria rosce, &c., 

 among hymenoptera; besides aphides, diptera, 

 earthworms, and lepidopterous forms of Zerene 

 catenaria, Ennomos subsignaria, Choerodes trans- 

 v^rsata, Hybernia tiliaria, Utetheisa bella, Eudryas 



