No. 20.] THE BIRDS OF CONNECTICUT. 305 



" In summing up the economic status of the Redwing, the 

 principal point to attract attention is the small percentage of 

 grain in the year's food — seemingly so much at variance with 

 the complaints of the bird's destructive habits. Judged by the 

 contents of its stomach alone, the Redwing is most decidedly a 

 useful bird. The service rendered by the destruction of noxious 

 insects and weed seeds far outweighs the damage due to its con- 

 sumption of grain. The destruction that it sometimes causes 

 must be attributed entirely to its too great abundance in some 

 localities." (Beal, " Food of Bobolinks, Blackbirds, and 

 Grackles.") 



The Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus) only appears 

 with us in any numbers in the fall after the grain is harvested, 

 and its economic importance is not great. " The stomachs con- 

 tained a larger proportion of animal matter ( S3 per cent) than 

 those of any other species of American Blackbirds except the 

 Bobolink. This is the more remarkable in view of the fact that 

 none were taken in the two breeding months of June and July, 

 when in all probability the food consists almost exclusively of 

 animal matter. While the birds are decidedly terrestrial in their 

 feeding habits, they do not eat many predaceous ground-beetles 

 (Carabidse), the total consumption of these insects amounting to 

 only 1.7 per cent of the whole food. Scarabaeids, the May-beetle 

 family, form 2 per cent, and in April 11. 7 per cent. Various 

 other families of beetles aggregate 10. i per cent, largely aquatic 

 beetles and their larvae, which, so far as known, do not have any 

 great economic importance. A few of the destructive snout- 

 beetles (Rhynchophora) are also included, as well as some 

 chrysomelids and others. 



" Caterpillars constitute 2.5 per cent, and do not form any 

 very striking percentage at any time, except, perhaps, in May, 

 when they amount, to 11.7 per cent. Grasshoppers nearly equal 

 beetles in the extent to which they are eaten, and exceed every 

 other order of insects,' although none appeared in the stomachs 

 taken in January, March, May, and December, and in February 

 but a trace. In August, as usual, they reach the maximum, 44.3 

 per cent, only a trifle higher, however, than the October record. 

 The average for the year is 12 per cent." 



20 



