52 BIRDS OF CALIFORNIA AFFECTING FRUIT INDUSTRY. 



other shrubbery, but not rarely in the orchard. During the migra- 

 tion it is common and widespread. 



Fifty-two stomachs of this bird have been examined, and though 

 the evidence is somewhat fragmentary, it suffices to reveal the general 

 character of the food. 



Animal food. — Animal matter amounts to over 93 percent, vege- 

 table to less than 7 percent. Of the former, the larger item is Hemip- 

 tera. which aggregates over 35 percent. The black olive scale was 

 found in four stomachs, but leaf-hoppers make up the bulk of this 

 portion of the food. Hymenoptera stand next in importance, with 31 

 percent, made up of both wasps and ants. 



Flies are eaten to the extent of 11 percent, and in connection with 

 the Hymenoptera proves what observation of its habits indicate, that 

 this bird gets much of its food when on the wing. A good many of 

 the insects were the tipulids, or crane-flies. 



Beetles of half a dozen different families were eaten to the extent 

 of about 9 percent. They were mostly leaf-beetles (Chrysomelidae), 

 with a few weevils and one or two others. No coccinellids were 

 found. 



Somewhat less than 5 percent of the food consists of caterpillars. 

 They do not appear to be favorite food, for they are eaten ven^ 

 irregularly. Spiders also are taken only sparingly, and form but 

 little more than 1 percent of the total food. 



Vegetable food. — The vegetable food, less than 7 percent of the 

 total, is made up almost entirely of fruit pulp, and was eaten in the 

 months of September and October. 



SUMMARY. 



The foregoing hasty review of the food of the golden pileolated 

 warbler shows that its food habits are practically the same as those 

 of other members of the family. The food is largely composed of 

 insects, and its two most prominent elements are Hymenoptera and 

 Hemiptera, which are eaten extensively and very regularly through 

 the year. The other components of the diet apparently are taken 

 with less regularity 



WESTEBN MOCKING BIBD. 

 (Mimus p ylyglottos leucopter.us.) 



The mocking bird has always been held in such high esteem as a 

 singer that perhaps it would be useless to attempt to add to the 

 bird's repute by showing that its food habits are of a high order of 

 economic interest. Moreover, the title of the mocking bird to be 

 ranked as an economic benefactor is not quite clear, for, though it 



