Some Common Birds Useful to the Farmer. 13 
in California the birds are much in the orchards. In one case they were 
observed feeding on cherries, but when a neighboring fruit grower began to 
plow his orchard almost every blackbird in the vicinity was upon the newly 
opened ground close after the plowman’s heels in its eagerness to secure the 
insects turned up. 
The laboratory investigation of this bird’s food covered 312 stomachs, col- 
lected in every month and representing especially the fruit and grain sections 
of southern California. The animal portion of the food was 32 per cent and 
the vegetable 68 per cent. 
Caterpillars and their pups amounted to 12 per cent of the whole food and 
were eaten every month. They include many of those pests known as cutworms. 
The cotton-boll worm, or corn-ear worm, was identified in at least 10 stomachs, 
and in 11 were found pup of the codling moth. The animal food also included 
other insects, and spiders, sow bugs, snails, and eggshells. 
The vegetable food may be divided into fruit, grain, and weed seeds. Fruit 
was eaten in May, June, and July, not a trace appearing in any other month, 
‘and was composed of cherries, or what was thought to be such, strawberries, 
blackberries or raspberries, and fruit pulp or skins not further identified. 
However, the amount, a little more than 4 per cent for the year, was too small 
to make a bad showing, and if the bird does no greater harm than is involved 
in its fruit eating it is well worth protecting. Grain amounts to 54 per cent 
of the yearly food and forms a considerable percentage in each month; oats 
are the favorite and were the sole contents of 14 stomachs, and wheat of 2, but 
no stomach was completely filled with any other grain. Weed seeds, eaten in 
every month to the extent of 9 per cent of the food, were found in rather small 
quantities and irregularly, and appear to have been merely a makeshift. 
Stomachs of nestlings, varying in age from 24 hours to some that were nearly 
fledged, were found to contain 89 per cent animal to 11 per cent vegetable mat- 
ter. The largest items in the former 
were caterpillars, grasshoppers, and 
spiders. In the latter the largest 
items were fruit, probably cherries ; 
grain, mostly oats; and rubbish. 
BALTIMORE ORIOLE. 
Brilliancy of plumage, sweetness 
of song, and food habits to which no 
exception can be taken are some of 
the striking characteristics of the 
Baltimore oriole ® (fig. 12). In sum- 
mer it is found throughout the north- Le: 
ern half of the United States east of Fic. 12.—Baltimore oriole. Length, about 
fhe Great Plains. Its nest commands 74 inches. 
ardly less admiration than the - . 
beauty of its plumage or the excellence of its song. Hanging ee ined 
the outermost bough of a stately elm, it eras cas ee 
and so strongly fastened as to bid defiance to the € . : . 
Observation both in the field and laboratory shows that Edam eaacgs | 
tute the largest item of the fare of the oriole. In 204 stomachs pELeN ail the 
per cent of the food, and they are eaten in varying quantities h u a progres 
months in which the bird remains in this country. The fewes : pected re 
July, when a little fruit also is taken. The other insects consist as a ae ee 
ants, wasps, grasshoppers, and some spiders. The beetles are Plt. ty ond 
beetles, the larvee of which are among the most destructive 1nsee : 
as " put so small and 
the bugs include plant and bark lice, bech very eotaaene are eaten mostly 
obscure as to be passed over unnoticed by most birds. ; Beli 
in spring, piiaatiopuens in July and August, and wasps and spiders with 
side larity throughout the season. 
oe the BELAY SE the orate in the United irae ens paneer ate 
to only a little more than 16 per cent of its aa pet eT: cating WORE 
doing much damage to crops is very limited. Th i 0 cases. 
to f Goneidecale Gent, but remmains of such were found in only tw 
i omachs. 
One writer says that it damages grapes, but none were found in the st 
8 Toterus galbula. 
