No. 20.] THE BIRDS OF CONNECTICUT. 349 



they have been accustomed to feed. Under these circumstances, 

 what is more natural than for the birds to turn to cultivated fruits 

 for their supplies ? The remedy is obvious ; cultivated fruits can 

 be protected by the simple expedient of planting wild species or 

 others which are preferred by the birds. Some experiments with 

 Catbirds in captivity showed that the Russian mulberry was pre- 

 ferred to any cultivated fruit that could be offered. 



" The stomachs of 213 Catbirds were examined, and found 

 to contain 44 per cent of animal (insect), and 56 p^r cent of vege- 

 table food. Ants, beetles, caterpillars, and grasshoppers constitute 

 three-fourths of the animal food, the remainder being made up 

 of bugs, miscellaneous insects, and spiders. One-third of the 

 vegetable food consists of cultivated fruits, or those which may 

 be cultivated, such as strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries; 

 but, while we debit the bird with the whole of this, it is probable 

 — > and in the eastern and well wooded part of the country almost 

 certain — that a large part was obtained from wild vines. The 

 rest of the vegetable matter is mostly wild fruit, such as cherries, 

 dogwood, sour gum, elderberries, greenbrier, spice berries, black 

 alder, sumac, and poison ivy. 



" Although the Catbird sometimes does considerable harm by 

 destroying small fruit, the bird cannot be considered injurious. 

 On the contrary, in most parts of the country it does far more 

 good than harm, and the evil it does can be reduced appreciably 

 by the methods already pointed out." (Beal, " Some Common 

 Birds in their Relaton to Agriculture.") 



Regarding the Brown Thrasher {Toxostoma rufum), Pro- 

 fessor Beal says : " The food of the Brown Thrasher consists 

 of both fruit and insects. An examination of 121 stomachs 

 showed 36 per cent of vegetable and 64 of animal food, practically 

 all insects, and mostly taken in spring before fruit is ripe. Half 

 the insects were beetles, and the remainder chiefly grasshoppers, 

 caterpillars,, bugs, and spiders. A few predaceous beetles were 

 eaten, but, on the whole, its work as an insect destroyer may be 

 considered beneficial. 



" Eight per cent of the food is made up of fruits like rasp- 

 berries and currants which are or may be cultivated, but the 

 raspberries at least are as likely to belong to wild as to cultivated 

 varieties. Grain, made up mostly of scattered kernels of oats and 



