WARBLERS. 51 



ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER. 



(Helmirithophila celata subspp.) 



The genus Helminthophila is next to Dendroica in the number of 

 species and subspecies it contains, but still falls far below it. Several 

 species occur in California, but the one under consideration is prob- 

 ably the most important. Only 65 stomachs were available for exami- 

 nation, but they confirm the evidence already obtained from other 

 species. 



Vegetable food. — Less than i) percent of the food is vegetable mat- 

 ter, and is made up of 3 percent of fruit and rather more than 5 per- 

 cent of various substances, such as leaf galls, seeds, and rubbish. 

 Fruit was found in only a few stomachs, but the percentage in each 

 was considerable ; figs were the only variety identified. 



Animal food. — The animal matter in these stomachs amounts to 91 

 percent of the food. Hemiptera are the largest item and amount to 

 over 25 percent, mostly leaf -bugs, leaf -hoppers, plant-lice, and scales. 

 Plant-lice were found in only one stomach and scales in 5, of which 3 

 contained the black olive species. Beetles amount to about 19 percent 

 of the food, and with the exception of a few Coccinellida? are of 

 harmful families, among which are a number of weevils. 



Beetles and bugs are the two orders of insects that are not only 

 eaten to the greatest extent but are taken with great regularity, and 

 form a respectable percentage of the food in every month. 



Caterpillars are eaten rather irregularly, though they aggregate 24 

 percent for the year. Stomachs collected in several months contained 

 none, while in others they amounted to more than half the food. 

 Probably the examination of a greater number of stomachs would 

 show more regularity in the consumption of these insects. 



Hymenoptera amount nearly to 15 percent, and are mostly small 

 wasps, though some ants are eaten. This is the smallest percentage 

 for this order that has yet been found in the food of any warbler. 



Flies are represented by less than 1 percent, which is unusually 

 small. Perhaps this warbler larks the skill to catch such agile 

 insects. Seven percent of spiders were found in the stomachs, the 

 largest perc c ntigb of these creatures for any ~ r arbler. This again 

 indicates that the orange-crown is mod successful in hunting slug- 

 gish game, such as beetles, bugs, and spiders. 



GOLDEN PILEOLATED WARBLER. 



(Wilsonia pusilla subspp. ) 



The golden pileolated warbler is another of the small birds that 

 summer here and there on the Pacific coast, mostly in willows and 



