﻿INJURIOUS 
  INSECTS 
  EATEN. 
  

  

  25 
  

  

  attacks 
  clover. 
  Both 
  of 
  these 
  beetles 
  are 
  eaten 
  by 
  the 
  horned 
  lark. 
  

   The 
  potato 
  stalk 
  b 
  rer 
  (Trichobaris 
  trinotata), 
  the 
  nut 
  weevils, 
  and 
  

   grain 
  weevils 
  are 
  all 
  taken. 
  Weevils 
  in 
  the 
  lark's 
  diet 
  take 
  the 
  place 
  

   of 
  grasshoppers, 
  which 
  are 
  the 
  predominant 
  element 
  of 
  the 
  insect 
  food 
  

   of 
  granivorous 
  birds. 
  The 
  percentage 
  of 
  grasshoppers 
  eaten 
  by 
  the 
  

   larks, 
  2.5, 
  is 
  somewhat 
  more 
  than 
  half 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  weevils 
  consumed. 
  

   In 
  August 
  and 
  September, 
  the 
  months 
  during 
  which 
  grasshoppers 
  

   are 
  most 
  abundant, 
  

   7.1 
  and 
  8.9 
  percent, 
  

   respectively, 
  are 
  con- 
  

   sumed 
  b} 
  r 
  horned 
  

   larks. 
  Grasshoppers 
  

   were 
  obtained 
  in 
  ev- 
  

   ery 
  month 
  in 
  the 
  year 
  

   except 
  November, 
  

   December, 
  and 
  Janu- 
  

   ary. 
  During 
  the 
  

   great 
  invasions 
  of 
  

   locusts 
  that 
  have 
  oc- 
  

  

  b 
  a 
  c 
  

  

  Fig. 
  7. 
  — 
  Imbricated-snout 
  beetle 
  (Epicserus 
  imbricatus) 
  

   Chittenden, 
  Bureau 
  of 
  Entomology.) 
  

  

  (From 
  

  

  curred 
  in 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  horned 
  larks 
  have 
  been 
  efficient 
  in 
  their 
  

   destruction, 
  and 
  they 
  are 
  reported 
  to 
  have 
  eaten 
  both 
  eggs 
  and 
  adults. 
  

   Caterpillars, 
  cocoons, 
  and 
  adults 
  of 
  lepidoptera 
  are 
  eaten 
  by 
  

   horned 
  larks. 
  The 
  larvae 
  of 
  the 
  tineid 
  or 
  leaf 
  -mining 
  moths 
  (tig. 
  8), 
  

   which 
  are 
  injurious 
  to 
  various 
  nuts, 
  fruits, 
  and 
  stored 
  grain, 
  and 
  even 
  

   to 
  furs, 
  are 
  a 
  favorite 
  food. 
  In 
  the 
  winter 
  many 
  of 
  these 
  are 
  picked 
  

  

  from 
  their 
  places 
  of 
  

   concealment. 
  Three 
  

   horned 
  larks 
  collected 
  

   in 
  March 
  in 
  Wyoming 
  

   had 
  eaten 
  more 
  than 
  

   30 
  each, 
  making 
  80 
  

   percent 
  of 
  their 
  food. 
  

   Among 
  the 
  caterpil- 
  

   lars, 
  geometrids, 
  or 
  

   measuring 
  worms, 
  

   were 
  identified. 
  Most 
  

   of 
  the 
  caterpillars 
  are 
  

   eaten 
  in 
  April 
  and 
  

   May, 
  5.8 
  and 
  6.2 
  percent, 
  respectively, 
  being 
  taken 
  in 
  these 
  months. 
  

   Concerning 
  the 
  value 
  of 
  the 
  horned 
  lark 
  in 
  destroying 
  cutworms, 
  the 
  

   caterpillars 
  of 
  the 
  owlet 
  moths, 
  Dr. 
  Le 
  Baron 
  says: 
  a 
  

  

  The 
  peculiarity 
  of 
  this 
  bird 
  * 
  * 
  * 
  is 
  the 
  instinct 
  with 
  which 
  it 
  discovers 
  and 
  

   destroys 
  those 
  grubs 
  which 
  infest 
  cornfields, 
  and 
  which 
  often 
  do 
  so 
  much 
  damage 
  to 
  

   this 
  and 
  other 
  crops. 
  It 
  came 
  to 
  my 
  knowledge 
  through 
  the 
  observation 
  of 
  an 
  

  

  Fig. 
  8.— 
  Tineid 
  moth 
  with 
  larva 
  and 
  cocoon. 
  

   Bureau 
  of 
  Entomology.) 
  

  

  (After 
  Riley, 
  

  

  «The 
  American 
  Entomologist 
  and 
  Botanist, 
  II, 
  No. 
  6, 
  p. 
  168, 
  April, 
  1870. 
  

  

  