SEASONAL VARIATION IN INSECT DIET. 105 



and in the country, Sparrows undoubtedly take more grain or seed, fruit, 

 and insects j and all careful observers whose observations have ex- 

 tended over considerable periods in such localities, agree that the Spar- 

 row destroys insects more or less according to their abundance. 



SEASONAL VARIATION IN THE INSECT FOOD OF THE SPARROW. 



It has been claimed often that Sparrows take much the larger part 

 of their insect food in spring or early summer. While this may be 

 true, we have not the data as yet to prove it, and it seems to be, in part 

 at least, a hasty inference from two principal facts. These are, first, 

 the assumption that the young are fed mainly on insects, and that the 

 most young are hatched in spring and early summer; second, the sup- 

 position that as grain ripens, Sparrows naturally neglect all other food. 

 Undoubtedly both these points have considerable weight, but there are 

 two other points that tend to offset them, and these are too frequently 

 overlooked. Although doubtless more Sparrows are hatched in May 

 or June than in July or August, yet we do not know how many more. 

 It has been shown already that at least three or four broods are hatched 

 each year, and during the last weekin August, 1887, stump-tailed young 

 just out of the nest were not at all rare about the grounds of the De- 

 partment of Agriculture. If nearly as many young are reared in Au- 

 gust as in May, probably as many insects would be fed to them in Au- 

 gust as in May, for — and here is the second point — insects are certainly 

 more abundant in midsummer and early autumn than in spring. 



In England, according to Mr. Gurney's tables, the Sparrow eats more 

 insects in August than in any other month ; and Dr. William Brodie, 

 at Toronto, Canada, found that of 85 stomachs taken in September, 63, 

 or about 74 per cent., contained insects. 



The following table gives the results, as regards the number of stom- 

 achs containing insects, of the 522 dissections made at the Department 

 of Agriculture, arranged by months.* It is to be regretted that as 

 many birds were not killed each month as in August, but this was im- 

 possible, although it is hoped it may be done hereafter. 



* For information as to the manner in which these examinations were made, see 

 page 133. 



