SPARROW FAMILY, 85 
Caterpillars, while taken in nearly every month, were eaten very 
irregularly and to the extent of 4.3 percent only. There was a fair 
percentage from March to August inclusive, but in other months a 
trifle or none, except December, in which 5 percent were found. May 
shows the greatest amount, 14 percent. Grasshoppers are apparently 
not relished by the song sparrow. A mere trace of these insects was 
found in a few stomachs collected in February, May, June, and August. 
They do not form an appreciable percentage of the food. A few 
insects too finely pulverized for recognition, some spiders, and a few 
snails make up the remainder of the animal food, 2.5 percent. 
Vegetable food.—Evidence of fruit eating was found in 19 stomachs 
as follows: Seeds of Rubus (blackberries or raspberries) in 9, elder- 
berries in 4, cherries in 2, figs in 1, and fruit pulp or skins in 3. In 
all it amounts to a trifle more than 2 percent of the food. Grain was 
absent in all stomachs collected from February to June inclusive, and 
in November. What was eaten in the other months comes to a little 
more than 3 percent for the year. The most, 11 percent, was taken 
in January, but July shows very nearly the same. This last was 
perhaps gleaned from the field. The varieties are as follows: Barley 
found in 7 stomachs, oats in 5, and wheat in 2. 
The chief food of the song sparrow is weed seed. This amounts 
to 73 percent of the year’s food, and varies from one-fifth to very 
nearly the whole of each month’s diet. In September, when animal 
food is at its minimum, weed seed reaches a little more than 93 per- 
cent. On the other hand, in May, when animal food is at its maxi- 
mum, weed seed shrinks to a little less than 21 percent. Of the 321 
stomachs, 302, or 94 percent, contained weed seed. Of these, 171, 
or 53 percent of all, were completely filled with it. There were only 
19 stomachs that did not contain more or less of this food. The 
record of this sparrow for eating weed seed is excelled by only four 
species of California birds—the linnet, the two goldfinches, and the 
white-crowned sparrow. : 
Following are the species of weed seeds identified and the number 
of stomachs in which each was found: 
Sareflorand Balai sip Nees coauceliss cal ve udaesdednn Mean saree ee 1 
Lesser tarweed (Hemizonia fasciculata) ...---.------+----scrrr ttre : 
Tabwaed (Morita sata) ces < we sewiln dee Sane tekt eo oes Se See ne A : 
Mayweed (Anthemis cotula)......--.-----2---.ccctrccr " 
Bur thistle (Centaurea melitensis)....------------20retcccttt E 
Sow thistle (Sonchus asper and oleraceus)...------------770rvsvvr : 
Salsify (Tragopogon porrifolius)....---------++2-2-tr rrr : 
Henbit (Lamium amplevicaule).....-.-------020cccrccrss Se 
Nightshade (Solanum nigrum)...----------20esccrrrscss : 
Nine bark (Opulaster opulifolius).......----++2+--0crteer : 
Turkey mullein (Eremocarpus setigerus)...----+-2---0rrersvrssses eg 
Poison oak (Rhus diveratloba).........--sesceecoe-ececteeeenssseeesestee et e 
Alfilaria (Erodiwm cicutartum).....-.-2+2.eececereceserters eee 
