

SPARROWS. 19 



SPARROWS, GROSBEAKS, ETC. 



The members of this family are nearly all seed eaters, and although 

 10 species have been found to capture boll weevils, none of them, 

 except the painted bunting, seem to feed regularly on the insect. 

 Many of the smaller sparrows, however, are very abundant, so that 

 the good they do in the aggregate is very considerable. 



Painted hunting. — These brilliantly colored little sparrows are 

 common over most of Texas in the summer months. During their 

 southward migration in August they are particularly abundant, and 

 at that season hundreds visit the cotton fields every day and seek 

 their food on the plants. They seem to be the only sparrows that 

 show a decided preference for boll weevils. Eighteen birds, or about 

 16.5 per cent of the number examined, had eaten a total of 19 weevils. 



Cardinal; " redbird." — Cardinals are present in the South through- 

 out the year, and in most localities are very numerous. They live 

 chiefly in thickets about the borders of fields or in brushy timber, 

 whence they occasionally fly into the cotton fields. Specimens taken 

 at all seasons excepting midwinter have been examined, but only 

 3 have been found with boll weevils in the stomach. These were 

 killed in September and contained a total of 1 weevils. 



Pyrrhuloxia ; " gray grosbeak." — This handsome grosbeak is an 

 inhabitant of the arid mesquite belt of southwest Texas. It is com- 

 mon at Beeville and Eunge, where 64 specimens were collected. Of 

 these 2 had each taken a boll weevil. 



Dickcissel; black-throated bunting. — These sparrows, which in 

 general appearance resemble the English sparrow, are summer resi- 

 dents in Texas, and during migration are quite abundant in cotton 

 fields. Twenty-six specimens have been examined, of which 3 had 

 taken 1 boll weevil apiece. 



Lark sparrow. — Lark sparrows are common in Texas, both in sum- 

 mer and in winter, and during the fall migration are particularly 

 abundant. At that season they swarm in the cotton fields and along 

 roadsides. About 50 specimens were collected, but only 1 had eaten 

 a boll weevil. 



Western savanna sparrow. — These are the little " grass spar- 

 rows " that are so common during the winter in the fields and mead- 

 ows. Thirty-nine specimens taken in February and March were 

 examined, and of these 3 had each eaten a boll weevil; of 18 birds 

 taken in November and December 1 had eaten a boll weevil. In view 

 of the great abundance of these sparrows the number of weevils de- 

 stroyed by them in the course of the winter must be considerable. 



White-throated sparrow. — This sparrow is a winter visitant from 

 the North, remaining in Texas from November to April. The white- 

 throats spend their time in thickets and brush piles, scratching among 



