COMMON.BIRDS OF SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES, 9 
sweet gum in 10, poison ivy in 7, sumac in 4, pine in 2, smart weed and other weedsin 
7, and mast (ground up acorn) in 2. Be 
des these a few stomachs contained pulp 
which could only be identified as “fruit.” 
From this analysis of the food of the Carolina wren, it is evident that the farmer and 
fruit grower have not the slightest cause for complaint against the bird, It eats neither 
cultivated fruit nor grain, and does not even nest in an orchard tree; but it does 
feed on numerous injurious 
insects and enlivens the 
tangled thickets with its 
cheerful song for 12 months 
in the year.—F, FL. B. 
MOCKINGBIRD.} 
The mockingbird (fig. 4) 
has always been held in 
such high esteem for its 
vocal powers that any at- 
tempt to add to its reputa- 
tion by showing that its 
food habits also are in its 
favor may seem super- 
fluous. The title of the 
mockingbird to rank 
among economic bene- 
factors has not heretofore 
been quite clear, however, 
for, though it does consider- 
able good in the destruc- 
tion of harmful insects, it 
is said to eat much fruit, 
and where fruit raising is 
an important industry, as 
in the Southern States, 
particularly Texas and 
Florida, bitter complaints 
are made against it. In 
Florida, the bird is charged 
with attacking grapes and 
oranges, and in Texas it is 
asserted that figs must be 
added to the list of fruit it 
damages, 
For the present investi- 
gation of the mockingbird’s 
food 417 stomachs were 
available, and these dis- 
closed 47,81 per cent ani- 
A = 
aS 
\ \ 
As 
\Y LW NS 
SS \ 
: 
Nay 
WY 
¥ 
—— 
Wy 
AN 
if 
| 
\K 
i 
i \\ 
aE 
i 
i 
ly 
i | | | mn 
if | eM : 
NNN 
! 
B2144-66 
Fic. 4.—Mockingbird. Length, about 103 inches. 
mal matter to 52.19 per cent vegetable. This is more than twice the proportion of 
animal food observed in mockingbirds from California. Perhaps the abundant fruit 
in that section proves too great an attraction for the birds to bother with insects. 
The stomachs of southeastern birds examined were very evenly distributed over 
every month, Most of the animal food is taken in May (85.44 per cent). Vege- 
table food attains its maximum in December and January (86.55 per cent each). 
1 Mimus polyglottos. 
50402°—Bull. 755—16——2 
