LAND BIRDS. 459 
the birds pull up sprouting grain, either corn, wheat or oats, and they 
also pick up any grain left uncovered; but it is during the harvest season, 
and especially during the time when corn is ‘‘in the milk,” that their attacks 
are most important. These facts show conclusively that the Crow Black- 
bird or Bronzed Grackle is a serious foe to the farmer whenever it occurs 
in large numbers. Many instances are on record of flocks numbering 
thousands, or even tens of thousands, which have visited cornfields and 
grain fields, doing a vast amount of damage in a short time. 
The Grackle also eats considerable quantities of fruit at certain times, 
the figures furnished by stomach examinations being 13 percent in June 
and 10 percent in July. The fruits most commonly attacked are rasp- 
berries, blackberries, cherries, and mulberries, but ordinarily no great 
damage is done. 
One other serious accusation is made against the Grackle, namely, 
that it robs the nests of other birds, devouring their eggs and young. That 
this is true to a limited extent is shown both by numerous direct observa- 
tions and by the stomach analyses. The latter, however, show that remains 
of eggs and young birds were found in only 37 of the 2,346 stomachs ex- 
amined, or in less than one stomach in 63. During seventeen summers’ 
observation on the campus of the Michigan Agricultural College, where 
from fifty to one hundred pairs of these Grackles nest every year, we have 
but twice seen Grackles robbing the nests of other birds, and very rarely 
have birds been seen mobbing or attacking the Grackles, which seems to 
be pretty good proof that they do not regularly pillage the nests of other 
species. 
Turning now to the brighter side of the Grackles character we find that 
the work which it does in the destruction of insects is of the most interesting 
and valuable kind. As stated already, 27 percent of the entire food of the 
year consists of insects, but these are eaten in quantities which vary with 
the season. Thus in March insects formed 17 percent of the food, in April 
25 percent, in May 63 percent, in June 59 percent, in July 45 percent, in 
August 39 percent, in September 17 percent, and in October 12 percent. 
As to the kinds of insects eaten, beetles form an important part, and 
probably the Grackles do a vast amount of good by destroying the mature 
beetles and the larve of the May-beetle or June bug (Lachnosterna), which, 
under the name of ‘“white-grub” is so well known to the farmer as an 
enemy of grass lands and many cultivated crops. These insects belong 
to the family Scarabceide, and members of this family formed one-fifth 
of the insect food of the Grackle for May, and one-seventh of the food for 
June. On the lawns of the Agricultural College it is no uncommon thing 
in May and June to see fifteen or twenty female Grackles at a time busily 
searching the turf for these large May-beetles and flying away with one 
or two at a time to feed their young in the neighboring spruces. On 
exceptional occasions we have counted as many as sixty of these birds 
searching for May-beetles and apparently for nothing else. In our opinion 
the good condition of the college lawns is due very largely to the protection 
afforded them by these birds. Snout-beetles (weevils or curculios) are 
also eaten regularly and in considerable numbers, indicating that the 
Grackles have a special fondness for these insects which are small, hard- 
shelled, and not particularly attractive to most birds. In one stomach 
seventeen specimens of the corn-weevil (Sphenophorus) were found and 
in other stomachs fourteen. Grasshoppers formed 19 percent of the food 
in May and increased in amount regularly until August, when they formed 
