58 Wyoming Birds. 



509. Euphagus carolinus: Rusty Blackbird. 



Knight placed this bird in his hypothetical list. Sawyer, 

 Peabody, and Lockwood record it now. 



510. Euphagus cyanocephalus: Brewer's Blackbird. 



Abundant summer resident from the plains and well up into 

 the mountains throughout the entire state. 



511b. Quiscalus quiscula aeneus: 'Bronzed Grackle. 



Knight reported it as not common, and since 1902 there are 

 two observers who record it. 



FRINGILLIDAE (Finches, Sparrows, etc.). 



In Wyoming, as elsewhere, the Sparrows and Finches are much 

 more abundant than any other family. This, together with their 

 habit of consuming enormous numbers of weed seeds and noxious 

 insects, makes them of the greatest value to the farmer and ranch- 

 man. During the summer months they feed largely upon insects 

 and insect larvae. The young of many species are raised upon cater- 

 pillars of various kinds, including cut worms as a favorite article 

 of food. During the colder months the Sparrows feed almost ex- 

 clusively upon the seeds of weeds, and elsewhere in this bulletin 

 figures are given to show that they destroy many tons of weed seed. 

 The Sparrows are of very great economic value. 



References : 



1. Year Book of the Department of Agriculture, 1898, pp. 221- 



232. 



2. Biological Survey Bulletin No. 15. 



3. Farmers' Bulletin No. 493. 



4. Farmers' Bulletin No. 506, pp. 25-29. 



5. "The Food of Nesting Birds," Year Book of the Department 



of Agriculture, 1900. 



514. Hesperiphona vespertina vespertina: Evening Grosbeak. 



Peabody has taken specimens of this species from Crook 

 County. This and his other skins were verified by Ober- 

 holser. Many eastern forms are found in the region in 

 which he worked. 



