NUTHATCHES AND TITMICE. 79 
Vegetable food.—The vegetable food of the bush tit may be consid- 
ered under two categories—fruit and miscellaneous matter. Fruit in 
some form was found in stomachs taken in the months from August 
to November, inclusive. The average amount eaten in those four 
months was a little less than 1 percent. It is represented in the 
stomachs by pulp and skins, which have not been further identified. 
The miscellaneous vegetable matter is composed of a few seeds, gran- 
ules of poison oak (Rhus diversiloba), leaf galls, and rubbish. The 
seeds of poison oak are eaten by many birds, and so are distributed 
about the country, but, as a rule, they are too large to be swallowed 
by the tit, which contents itself with pecking off the wax surrounding 
the seed. This is identified in the stomachs by certain woody gran- 
wes. A large portion of the vegetable food consists of small galls, 
apparently from leaves. They are eaten when first developed, when 
young and tender. As each of these probably contained an egg 
or grub, it is questionable if they should not be classed as animal 
food. The remainder of the vegetable matter is of such a nature that 
the only term which really describes it is ‘rubbish.’ It is probable 
that it is mostly taken accidentally along with other food, and perhaps 
should not be considered in the food category. 
FOOD OF NESTLINGS. 
Among the 353 stomachs of the bush tits whose food has been 
discussed was one brood of eight nestlings about ten days old. As 
these are the only nestlings collected, their food would merit atten- 
tion, but examination shows it to be of unusual interest. The vege- 
table matter in these stomachs was only three-fourths of 1 percent 
and consisted of one seed and some rubbish. The animal matter 
comprised, approximately : Beetles 2, wasps 2, bugs 8, caterpillars and 
pup 80, and spiders 7 percent. The point of greatest interest, 
however, lies in the fact that every one of these stomachs contained 
pupe of the codling moth, distributed as follows: Two stomachs 
contained 2 each, two contained 3 each, one contained 4, one 7, one 9, 
and one 11, making 41 in all, or an average of over 5 to each. The 
oak tree in which these birds were found was in a belt of timber 
along a creek, and just across the stream was a considerable area of 
neglected orchard. It is evident that the parent birds used this 
orchard as a foraging ground and did their best toward remedying 
the neglect of the owner. As with nestling birds feeding and diges- 
tion are almost continuous during the hours of daylight it follows 
that the above record would be several times repeated during a day’s 
feeding. There were probably not less than a dozen nests of the 
bush tit (several were seen) along the border of this orchard, and 
if, as is probable, the occupants all did as good work as the ones 
