CALIFORNIA SHRIKE. 33 
contained in one stomach in August, is the whole story of ants in 
the food of the violet-green. All of the other hymenopterous food 
consists of wasps and wild bees. In explanation of the fact that 
this bird eats ants freely for a short time and then eats no more, 
it may be stated that much of the time they are not obtainable. 
It is only when the insects are on the wing while swarming that the 
swallows can catch them, and then, being very numerous, they are 
eaten freely. 
Beetles collectively amount to something over 11 percent of the 
food of the violet-green. Of these nearly 3 percent are Carabide, 
with a few coccinellids and carrion beetles, which must be reckoned 
as useful insects. The rest, over 8 percent, are of several families, 
all of which are more or less harmful. Three stomachs, collected 
at the same time in Carmel Valley, are of interest. They contained 
respectively 42, 45, and 40 percent of scolytid or engraver-beetles. 
This was in the region of the Monterey pine (Pinus radiata), and 
there is no doubt that these insects prey upon those trees, and 
probably were taken when migrating in a swarm to fresh foraging 
grounds. A few moths, with some unidentified insects, make up 
the remainder of the animal food, a little more than 1 percent. 
CALIFORNIA SHRIKE. 
(Lanius ludovicianus gambeli.) 
The California shrike is common in parts of the Pacific coast 
region. At the present time fence posts and telegraph lines are the 
vantage points from which shrikes ordinarily scan the ground for 
prey, and in certain parts of the valley region it is unusual to glance 
along a-line of wire and not see one or more within a short distance. 
It-does not seem that trees and shrubs could ever have adequately 
supplied the need for lookout stations which is now filled by the poles 
and wires, 
There seems to be a mysterious sympathy between the shrike and 
the little sparrow hawk, or perhaps their relations are inspired by 
jealousy. The sparrow hawk also occupies the poles and wires as a 
lookout for prey, and whenever a hawk stations himself upon one of 
the poles, there, at no great distance, is sure to be a shrike keeping 
close watch upon the movements of the larger bird. When the latter 
moves the shrike follows, and seems to aim to keep the other continu- 
ally in view. Perhaps the shrike sees in the hawk a rival and con- 
siders that his preserves are being trespassed upon, though one would 
think there was room enough and prey enough for both. No case of 
actual conflict between the two has been observed—only this constant 
and unremitting surveillance on the part of the shrike. 
9379—No. 30-—07——3 sg 
