WESTERN TANAGER. 25 
almost entirely on the Grevillea trees, sipping the sweet liquid that exudes 
from the blossoms. But the Andrews Brothers, whose cherry and apple ranch 
is in the upper Yucaipe Valley, report that the tanagers destroyed about $4,000 
worth of cherries, being almost the entire crop. They used powder and shot 
liberally, but did not save the crop. 
It is to be regretted that some of the stomachs of these tanagers 
were not saved, in order that the diet of the species might be ascer- 
tained with precision. The only material available for examination 
consists of 46 stomachs from various parts of the State, during the six 
months from April to September, inclusive. This number is entirely 
too small to afford positive data as to the regular food habits of the 
bird, but undoubtedly points in the right direction. Although the 
testimony of field observers shows that this tanager eats a good deal 
of fruit, analysis of the stomach contents proves that over 82 percent 
of the food for the six months indicated above consists of insects, and 
the remainder, nearly 18 percent, of fruit, with a mere trace of seeds of 
a conifer. 
Insect food.—The largest item of the animal food is Hymenoptera, 
most of which are wasps, with some ants. Altogether they amount to 
56 percent of the food for the six months, and in August they reach 
75 percent. (They reach 92 percent in April, but only one stomach 
was taken in that month, so the record is not reliable.) Hemiptera 
stand next in importance, with 8 percent. They are mostly stink- 
bugs, with a few cicadas. Beetles amount to 12 percent of the food, 
of which less than 1 percent are useful Carabidw. The remainder 
are mostly click-beetles (Elateride) and the metallic wood-borers 
(Buprestidae), two very harmful families. The former in the larval 
stage are commonly known as wireworms, and bore into and destroy 
or badly injure many plants. The Buprestids, while in the larval 
stage, are wood-borers of the worst description. Grasshoppers were 
eaten to the amount of 4 percent, and caterpillars to the extent of less 
than 2 percent. 
Fruit.—The greater part of the fruit eaten appeared to be the pulp 
of some large kind like peaches or apricots. One stomach contained 
seeds of elderberries; another the seeds and stems of mulberries, and 
two the seeds of raspberries or blackberries. Nearly all these 
stomachs were collected in the mountains, away from extensive 
orchards, but still the birds had obtained some fruit, probably 
cultivated. 
SUMMARY. 
It is evident from the testimony that great damage from this 
species occurs only at rare intervals and during the spring migration. 
The greatest losses occurred in May, 1896, when the damage to the 
cherry crop in certain localities was most disastrous. As, under ordi- 
nary circumstances, the greater part of the food of this bird consists 
