430 YEARBOOK OF THE U. 8. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
of the food, and gradually increase to nearly 12 per cent in August. 
Some of the stomachs taken during the breeding season in April, 
May, and June contained bits of. snail shells, which were probably 
eaten for the lime they contain. 
Vegetable food of the oriole.—For its vegetable food, the oriole pre- 
fers fruit, but also eats grain and the seeds of weeds. Six kinds of 
fruits were found in the stomachs. Of these, cherries, raspberries, and 
mulberries are or may be cultivated. Cherries were identified in two 
stomachs, and four others contained fruit pulp too much digested for 
recognition. Assuming that this pulp came from cherries, six stom- 
achs in all contained this fruit. Raspberries or blackberries were 
found in eleven stomachs. As this fruit is as likely to be wild as cul- 
tivated, the record does not necessarily indicate that the bird does 
much damage.. Mulberries were found in only three stomachs, June- 
berries in nine, huckleberries in one, and elder berries in one. Next to 
Rubus fruits (blackberries and raspberries), Juneberries seem to be 
preferred, and it is noteworthy that several orioles shot on or near 
cherry trees in bearing had no cherries in their stomachs, but some 
seeds of Rubus and Juneberries. 
Green corn was found in one stomach and peas in two, hardly 
enough to establish the bird’s reputation as a pilferer of fields and 
gardens; and as only one observer has seen it eat peas, and none corn, 
it may be safely said that the harm done is trifling. No traces of 
sprouting oats or other grain were discovered, except in one stomach, 
taken in April, which contained some obscure vegetable substance 
that may have been sprouting peas nearly digested. 
If the two stomachs taken in April and the one in November are 
excluded, the percentage of vegetable food for the season stands 
about as follows: May, 7 per cent; June, 8; July, 29; August, 12. 
The sudden rise in July and the falling off in August are very notice- 
able. Moreover, in July the vegetable food consisted entirely of fruit. 
While the generally harmless character of the oriole is almost uni- 
versally acknowledged, a few instances of damage to fruit have been 
reported. Itis accused of eating berries and garden peas, and several 
correspondents say that it injures grapes. Even John Burroughs 
brands it as an enemy of the vineyard, but the harm it does in this way 
is probably overestimated. Mr. W. F. Webster, of Oshkosh, Wis., 
states that it sometimes punctures grapes to suck the juice, but adds 
that the bird is worth its weight in gold as an insect destroyer. The 
stomach cxaminations show that it destroys immense numbers of ¢cat- 
erpillars, grasshoppers, bugs, and noxious beetles, and does not prey 
to a noticeable extent on predaccous or useful beetles. Added to these 
good qualities, its brilliant plumage, sprightly manners, pleasing song, 
and skill in nest building excite our admiration, Let the farmer con- 
tinue to hold his good opinion of the oriole, and accord it the protec- 
tion it so well deserves. 
