90 FOOD HABITS OF THE GROSBEAKS. 
are even less exclusively vegetarian than others of the family and 
nearly half their food is animal. Moreover, the constituents of the 
animal dietaries of the two groups differ considerably. Nearly all 
finches hitherto examined have been found to avoid hairy caterpillars, 
but the grosbeaks eat them eagerly. True bugsgenerally are neglected 
by the smaller members of the sparrow tribe, while the grosbeaks con- 
sume on an average 7.25 percent of these strongly flavored insects. 
Further, while caged and hungry individuals of some of the smaller 
sparrows refused both the Colorado and three-lined potato beetles, 
cucumber and ladybird beetles, and also stinkbugs of the genus 
Euschistus, each of these insects is captured in the open by one or 
more, if not all, of the grosbeaks. In fact, the so-called protected 
fireflies, leaf beetles, and ladybirds, as also hairy caterpillars and the 
adaptively colored or distasteful bugs and scale insects, seem poorly 
defended, for all of them serve as grist for the grosbeak mill. A dif- 
ference between the vegetable dietaries of the grosbeaks and other 
sparrows is also worthy of notice. Weed seeds form half of the an- 
nual food of the latter group, while only one of the grosbeaks devours 
so large a proportion, the others consuming an average of about 18 
percent. 
To the grosbeaks in particular, as to the sparrow family as a whole, 
general traits have been ascribed as characteristic which investigation 
fails to substantiate. For instance, the grosbeaks are found to have 
no special predilection for buds, notwithstanding popular opinion to 
the contrary. Then, too, it is generally considered that the massive 
grosbeak bill is especially designed to crack hard fruits and seeds, and 
it would appear certain that in some way it is related to peculiarities 
of food. Yet the smaller sparrows and the cowbirds, with much 
weaker bills, break all sorts of seeds as readily as the cardinal. In- 
deed, the food habits of the grosbeaks, as revealed by the present in- 
vestigation, offer no clue to the origin of the form of bill. Its great 
crushing capacity appears to be utilized only on rare occasions, one 
cardinal, for instance, out of 500 eating a hickory nut. Practically 
all the food eaten by grosbeaks seemingly could be manipulated just 
as readily by birds with comparatively slender beaks. It is true that 
the curiously curved. beak of the parrot-bill may be useful in 
securing the much relished seeds of bur grass (Cenchrus), but 
the same kind of seeds is eaten also by the straight-beaked cardinal. 
No doubt there is an intimate connection between the size and form 
and the function of the grosbeak bill, but for the key apparently we 
must look to past conditions of environment, for its extraordinary 
size and shape appear to answer no present needs. 
Notwithstanding also the general similarity of bills, as well as of 
other points of structure, the five grosbeaks differ considerably in food 
habits. This divergence is beneficial to the birds, no doubt, when they 
