272 REPORT OF THE FOREST, FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. 



The food of the crossbills resembles that of the grosbeak, as they are strictly 

 forest inhabitants, and obtain most of their food from trees. A small number of 

 stomachs of these birds has been examined, and the uniformity of their contents 

 leads to the belief that they give a fair idea of the general food. Seeds are the 

 favorite article of diet for the greater portion of the year, yet during the summer 

 time some insects are eaten. A number of stomachs of the red crossbill taken 

 in the summer months yielded specimens of only two orders of insects — viz, 

 caterpillars and plant-lice. These last appear to be a very favorite food, for several 

 stomachs were nearly filled with them, and one contained nothing else. It scarcely 

 needs to be pointed out that in eating these insects the crossbills are doing a 

 good work for the forest. 



It is, however, in their character as seed-eaters that the crossbills are best 

 known. Their preference for coniferous forests as a place of residence and their 

 fondness for the seeds from the cones has long been a matter of observation. 

 The peculiar structure of their bills enables them to extract and hull the seeds 

 of the pines and other conifers with a deftness which can be equaled by no 

 other bird. As a consequence, the seeds of the cone-bearing trees form the largest 

 item of their food. Of course the seeds that are thus eaten do not help to 

 perpetuate the forest, but many seeds are scattered broadcast, and it is probable 

 that by this means more of them are placed in a location suitable for germi- 

 nation than would happen if the cones were left upon the trees unopened until 

 they fell of their own weight. 



Tl)e lairds of Pre^. 



While the smaller mammals, such as mice, voles, wood-rats and rabbits do not 

 habitually do any remarkable damage to the grown forest, they are very destructive 

 to young trees, and in the forest nurseries often cause great losses by girdling 

 young stock. These creatures have long been a source of annoyance and expense 

 in young orchards and nurseries of fruit trees, and where efforts are being made to 

 raise forest trees for the purpose of artificially restocking forest areas it is found 

 necessary to take measures to guard against these pests, or much of the labor 

 and expense will be wasted. 



It is in such emergencies as these that the beneficial work of the hawks and owls 

 is appreciated. The food of these birds has been thoroughly studied and discussed by 

 Dr. A. K. Fisher, and his publication upon the subject is a model of painstaking 

 labor.* 



*The Hawks and Owls of the United States, in Their Relation to Agriculture, Bulletin No. 3, 

 Div. Ornithology and Mammals, U. S. Dept. Agric. By A. K. Fisher, M. D. 



