66 



THE RELATION OF SPARROWS TO AGRICULTURE. 



The sharp-tailed and seaside sparrows have a very limited range, 

 a mere strip on the Atlantic coast, and probably do not come in con- 

 tact to any extent with cultivated crops. In so far as they destroy 

 insect enemies of salt-marsh hay they are helpful, and in so far as 

 thej^ destro}^ enemies of insects which prey upon this crop, they are 

 harmful; but otherwise they exercise little influence on agriculture. 

 The examination of .81 stomachs of both species indicates that 2 per- 

 cent of the food consists of insects A^^hich probably exert a beneficial 

 influence on the salt-hay crop, 30 percent consists of insects which are 

 perhaps injurious to it, and 10 percent consists of spiders, concerning 

 whose relation to it there is much doubt. The remaining 58 percent 

 of the food is made up of approximate!}' equal parts of insects and 

 seeds of plants having little, if any, relation to the hay crop. The 

 birds do not prey on the salt-marsh caterpillars, so destructive to the 

 hay, and they destroy a considerable amount of the seed of the marsh 

 grasses, which is probably an injurious effect. Thus, investigation 

 shows that the two species are apparently of little economic importance. 



LARK SPARROW. 



( Chondestes grammacus and Chondestes g. strigatus. ) 



The lark sparrow (fig. 31), also called snake bird in certain locali- 

 ties on account of its striped head, is extremely abundant on the plain 



ih 1 Ji ii'h. 



^fffifv'/'/f I XL Ut! 



^\ 7/ 1 



Fig. 15.— Lark sparrow. 



and prairie regions of the United States. It is found in open country 

 from the Pacific coast almost to the Alleghenies and from British 

 Columbia and Manitoba as far south as Mexico and Guatemala. The 

 white feathers in its tail suggest the vesper sparrow, a bird with which 

 it agrees quite closely in habits and habitat. It is strikingly marked 



