SPARROW FAMILY. “3 
follows: Oats in 15, wheat in 9, barley in 4, corn in 1, and unidenti- 
fied in 1. None was taken in a harvest month. The great st 
‘amount, more than 30 percent, was eaten in March, the sov ing 
month, probably much of it from newly sown fields. 
Weed seed aggregates 61.8 percent of the food, and was eaten in. 
every month. In September it amounted to nearly 95 percent. A 
few seeds, mostly of grass, were not identified. The following is a 
list of identified species and the number of stomachs in which each 
was contained: 
i 
Rapweed:(-Ambrosa spy): ones accn to. selec ot aniede wos aca nhtna eee wee 1 
Tarweed (Madia sativa).........2.0.020 02 cece eee eee ee eee cee eee e ee eeee 4 
Mayweed (Anthemis cotula)...... 2.22.22. 20202 c eee c eee eee cece cece eee eee 11 
Bur thistle (Centaurea melitensis)............2.02.22000 0020 cee cence cece eee eeee 16 
Sow thistle (Sonchus asper).......... 000202020 eve e cece cece ee eee cece cece cess 2 
Nightshade (Solanum nigrum)......... 002.2202. 0 ee cece cece cece cece ceeceeeseee 11 
Lipine (Lupinus'sp sce cose cctcce cob ennnus 822s BARGE ds {Sodas wea tdurena aoe ees i) 
Clover (Trifolium sp.)......2..0- 02.02 cece eee cee cee cee cece eee ceeseeecteeeeee 1 
Poison oak (Rhus diversiloba).....0-.-22---2-20-20ccccecceeecseceseectseceseess 13 
Alfilaria (Erodium cicutarium).......2..2000000 00020 c coon eee eee eee 34 
Geranium (Geranium dissectum)..........20.2002 000 cee eevee eee eee eee eee 4 
Mustard.(Brassica:nigra).: 26000 ods os oes goede sesc deka See Re 3 
Miner’s lettuce (Montia perfoliata)............ 02222000. 00c cece eee ee eees 13 
Red maids (Calandrinia menziesi).............-00220020200ececeece eee e eet e tees 2 
Purslane (Portulaca DIG Ce a erste Sa ee wird a senc haber are a ate tae SN at cee nea Nek 1 
Rough pigweed (Amaranthus retroflecus)..,....--.-..222--2+e2eeeee cece eceeeeee 35 
Spurry (Spergula arvensis)......2...2 22220000 cc cece ccc c eee eee cents e eee eeeeee 9 
Chickweed (Stallanta tWedia).aoccsasscediccan 228enedenanny reen¥ieessepeceuee: 42 
Catchfly (Silene sp.)...-2..0.20eeeeccece cece cece ec ceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees sererte ee 21 
Knotweed (Polygonum BD sears as celeeineeiaty SHG Senn snean es ee aS 33 
BOE Citateio sheet 0 eg) eas xc ap duueana tanec mennauaeecesseta st eeResee 26 
Wild oats (Avena fata ec cc cies 2: jckistdd esters fe ee ee eee een A SAAR : 
Timothy (Phlewm pratense)..........-2--- 02-2000 e cece cece cece se ctee settee t 
Panic grass (Panicum BD: Seca ein nndae teak Gana pecrose Ss ; A 
Rede e(UGRe Seis tudes naa vavanimamans = keccnmcars veg uenete somes me 
Coniferous seeds not identified............-------2+eeeceee octet teeters 4 
Wind entifleds acest ii el oss genta engnne wae esol weds BES LES ESE N 2 
Remains of blossoms were found in 1 stomach. The seeds of 
poison oak were not discovered in the stomachs, but the characteristic 
granules that are embedded in the waxy coating of the seeds were 
identified, thus showing that the birds eat this wax without swallow- 
ing the seed itself. 
SUMMARY. 
The insect food of the snowbirds is composed almost entirely of 
harmful species, of which caterpillars form the largest item. Snow- 
birds do no damage to fruit or grain. They eat large quantities of 
weed seeds, thereby rendering a service to agriculture. 
