CONTENTS 



Introduction ... _ 7 



Importance of sparrows. -. 7 



Constituents of food 7 



Methods of investigation 11 



Field work .. 11 



Experiments with captive birds - 12 



Laboratory examination of stomachs 12 



Combination of field and laboratory work 15 



Classification of bird food . 16 



Recapitulation 18 



Food of sparrows ...- 19 



Mineral substances found in sparrows' stomachs _ . 19 



Food in general 19 



Food neutral in elf ect on agriculture 20 



Food injurious in effect on agriculture 21 



Food beneficial in effect on agriculture .'. 23 



Summary . - - 28 



Sparrows in the field 29 



Sparrows in captivity _ 45 



Food of sparrows by species 51 



^nowB.ake {Passerina nivalis) ... 51 



Lapland longspur ( Calcarius lapponicus) 54 



Vesper sparrow (Porecetes gramineus and Pooecetes gramineiis confinis) . 56 



Ipswich sparrow {Ammodramus piHnceps) . _ . _ . 59 



Savanna sparrow {Ammodramus sandivichensis savanna and Ammo- 

 dramus sandii'ichensis alaudinus) 59 



Grasshopper sparrow {Ammodramus savannarum passerinus and Ammo- 

 dramus savannarum perpallidus) •. . 60 



Henslow's sparrow {A7iimodramus henslowi) 63 



Sharp-tailed sparrow {Ammodramus caudacutus, Ammodramus nelsoni, 



and Ammodramus nelsoni suhvirgatus) . 64 



Seaside sparrow {Ammodramus maritimus) _ . . . 65 



Lark sparrow {Chondestes grammacus and Chondestes grammacus stri- 



gatus) 66 



Harris's sparrow {Zonotrichia querula) 68 



White-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys, Zonotrichia leucophrys 



gambeli, and Zonotrichia leucophrys nuttalli) _ . . . 69 



White-throated sparrow {Zonotrichia alhicollis) 72 



Tree sparrow {Spizella monticola and Spizella monticola ochracea) . _ , . 75 



Chipping sparrow {Spizella socialis and Spizella socialis arizoncE) .... 76 



Field sparrow {Spizella pusilla and Spizella pusilla arenacea) 78 



Junco {Junco hyemalis and subspecies) ... 80 



Song sparrow {Melospiza melodia and subspecies) .... 82 



Line oln's sparrow {Melospiza lincolni) 86 



Swamp sparrow {Melospiza georgiana) 87 



Fox sparrow {Fasserella iliaca) . . 87 



Dickcissel {Spiza americana) 89 



English sparrow {Passer domesticus) - 92 



