﻿FOOD HABITS OF THE VIREOS 



13 



and wild grapes (Vitaceae) were identified in only one or two stomachs 

 each. No cultivated fruits or seeds were found, and there is nothing 

 in the list of vegetable items to discredit the bird in any way. Al- 

 though 18.71 per cent of the September food was of vegetable origin, 

 the seasonal average from the stomachs available amounts to but 

 7.22 per cent. 



SUMMARY 



Outstanding features of the food habits of the Philadelphia vireo 

 are its moderate consumption of vegetable food and the compara- 

 tively high percentage of ladybirds. This last item appears to be 

 the one blot on the escutcheon of all members of the family of vireos. 

 The rarity of the Philadelphia vireo, however, insures that it will 

 do little harm in reducing the numbers of ladybird beetles. 



THE WARBLING VIREOS 



Vireosylva gilva, subspp. 



The warbling vireo in its two subspecies is one of the more common 

 of the vireos over the entire United States. A total of 356 stomachs 

 were available for examination from 29 States and the District of 







Fig. 4. — Monthly proportions of the various itcnns in the food of the warbling vireos {Vireosylva gilva, 

 subspp.), baser! on the analysis of the contents of :M0 stomachs, with tiic average of each item for the 

 year 



Columbia and a few from southern Canada. Of these, 340 contained 

 sufficient food to pcrniit the estimation of percentages of the various 

 items. 



Between 5 and 6 per cent of tlici food consumed by the warbling 

 vireos during the year is of vogetalde origin. TJiis is considerably 

 less than half the proportion takcm by the red-eyed vireo. The 

 food of animal origin is discussed under its several classes. (See 

 fig. 4.) 



