310 THE ENGLISH SPARROW IN AMERICA. 



will be seen from the appended tabular statement, it varies its diet in the spring-time 

 with bods, in the early summer with insects, — some of them noxious — and in the late 

 summer with fruit and grasshoppers. The taste for grasshoppers, however, seems to 

 be almost, if uot wholly, confined to the young fledgelings. When iu the nest they are 

 fed, I believe, entirely on insect food, so that after having flown they continue to sub- 

 sist on the same for a time, ultimately becoming as granivorous as their parents. 



The following list of gizzard contents is, on the whole, the most favorable to the 

 species of any I have seen ; this may be accounted for by the fact that all the birds 

 were shot in the suburbs of Toronto, in localities at considerable distances from any 

 grain fields, so that a miscellaneous and consequently a creditable diet was inevitable. 

 For the identification of the gizzard contents throughout and for other assistance I 

 am indebted to the kindness of Dr. William Brodie, of Toronto. 



I affix also an estimate made by the above gentleman of the economic value of the 

 gizzard dissections. It is understood that ten points are allowed for each, and when 

 the dissection presented neither good nor bad features it was entered as five on each 

 side. Whenever the grain found had evidently been taken from manure it was en- 

 tered as a good feature, for no harm was done, and viewed as a scavenger the bird was 

 beneficial. The fact, however, that the question of appetite alone is on trial may 

 make many, like myself, dissent from such a valuation. In many other particulars 

 my opinions differ from those of my friend, but I make no alterations, as he alone is 

 responsible for the two columns of " points,' 



