WEENS. 65 



is the only wren that eats these insects to any considerable extent 

 except as nestlings. 



Bugs (Hemiptera) amount to only a little more than 5 percent of 

 the food, which is the smallest quantity eaten by any of the wren 

 family. This item, however, contains one unexpected element — that 

 is, black scales (Saissetia). These appeared in 6 stomachs, and must 

 have been obtained from trees or shrubs, possibly from fruit trees. 

 In any case their destruction is a welcome service. Caterpillars and 

 their allies (Lepidoptera) were eaten to the extent of a little more 

 than 5 percent. Among them were many cocoons of tineid moths, 

 indicating again that the cactus wren obtains some of its food from 

 trees and shrubs. A few unidentifiable insects and spiders amount 

 to somewhat more than 3 percent. This is the smallest record for 

 spiders of any of the wren family, which is much given to eating 

 these creatures, finding them in crannies in rocks, stumps, and other 

 places. A few of the long bones of a tree frog were found in 1 

 stomach. 



Vegetable food. — Seventeen percent of vegetable matter was found 

 in the stomachs of this bird. This is the largest percentage found 

 in the stomachs of any species of wren yet examined. The vege- 

 table food of the cactus wren consists of fruit pulp and weed seeds. 

 The former amounts to nearly 13 percent, but in all cases where 

 identification was possible consisted of wild species. Of these, only 

 3 were fully identified — cactus (Opuntia), elderberry (Sambucus), 

 and Cascara (Rhamnus), the last only in 1 stomach. Nothing 

 was found to indicate that cultivated varieties had been eaten. 

 Seeds, which amount to 4 percent, are those of the poison oak (Rhus) , 

 and a nonpoisonous species, with filaree (Erodium) and Amisinckia, 

 most of them useless plants or worse. 



SUMMARY. 



From this brief inspection of the cactus wren's food it is seen that 

 it contains but little that is useful to man, while the great bulk is 

 made up of elements that are, or would be, harmful if present on 

 cultivated lands. The bird thus sustains the good reputation of 

 the rest of its family. 



OTHER WRENS. 



Some half a dozen stomachs each of the western winter wren (Olhior- 

 chilus hiemalis pacificus) and dotted canyon wren (Catherpes mexi- 

 canus punctulatus) and the rock wren (Salpinctes obsoletus) have 

 been examined. This number is entirely too small to serve for 

 specific statements in regard to their food except that it may be said 



9379— No. 30—07 5 



