66 FOOD OF BOBOLINK, BLACKBIRDS, AND GRACKLES. 
According to reports from the Southern States, crow blackbirds 
prey upon rice in company with other blackbirds and the bobolink, 
but unfortunately the collection contains few stomachs from this 
region, so that no corroborative evidence is at hand. 
Although fruit of some kind is eaten in every month from March to 
December, inclusive, it does not become important until June. In 
June, July, and August it reaches 7, 13, and 10 percent, respec- 
tively. This aggregate is made up from a number of elements (see 
p. 64), but the only ones likely to possess any economic interest 
are blackberries, raspberries, cherries, currants, grapes, and apples. 
Apple pulp was found in 3 stomachs, grapes in 3, currants in 1, cherries 
in 87 in June and 14 in July, and strawberries in 7. The blackberries 
and raspberries were the favorites, and made up the great bulk of the 
fruit eaten. They were eaten from May to September, inclusive, but 
only a few in each month, except in July and August, when they were 
found in 96 and 68 stomachs, respectively. When we consider that 
the latter fruits are much more abundant in the wild than in the 
cultivated state, and bear in mind the small amount of other fruit 
eaten, it certainly must appear that the damage to fruit by crow black- 
birds is of no great moment. None of the wild fruits mentioned in 
the table were found in Jarge quantities or in many stomachs. 
Mast, under which term are included chestnuts, chinquapins, acorns, 
and beechnuts, forms quite an important element in the fall and early 
spring months. It constitutes the principal part of the vegetable food 
of the 7 stomachs taken in January and does not appear in the 8 Feb- 
ruary stomachs to an important extent; but this record, based on only 
15 stomachs, can not be considered very reliable. It composes about 
10 percent of the March food, but decreases through the ensuing 
months till September, when it again becomes an important element 
and so continues through the rest of the year. 
Weed seeds form another interesting element of vegetable food and 
are of considerable importance in the colder months. Beginning in 
February, they constitute more than 7 percent of the food, increase 
slightly in March, and then gradualiy diminish until they almost dis- 
appear in June, but again increase to « maximum of more than 11 
percent in October. As all the plants included in this category are 
nuisances, it is, perhaps, needless to say that by eating their seeds 
the birds are doing good work. 
The mineral component of the stomach contents possesses little, 
if wny, economic interest, but it is curious to note how many differ- 
ent things a blackbird can pick up. Sand, gravel, pieces of brick, 
bits of mortar, plaster of paris, charcoal, hard coal, and cinders were 
the most common of the various hard substances which helped to line 
the mill in which their grist was ground. A glass bead was found in 
one stomach, Much of the gravel from stomachs of birds taken m 
