ENGLISH SPAEKOW. 95 



on a small species of wild bee {Halicius sp.). Ants are quite fre- 

 quently eaten. English sparrows, feeding on the ground, have often 

 been seen to spring into the air and catch a flj^ing ant, Lasius or 

 Tetramoriuni. Thej^ also feed on Monoinoriium pliaraonis. 



The beetle element of their food is of varied importance. They prey 

 on the harmless dung-beetles (ApJiodius) that are selected by native 

 sparrows and many other species of birds. The}^ also eat May-beetles 

 (Lachnosterna) — for the most part too hard-shelled for many of the 

 native sparrows — which are very injurious to crops, but which should 

 probably be counted as neutral in this case, since most of those eaten 

 have been maimed or killed b}' arc lights along city streets. The 

 destruction of weevils is xJi'oductive of more benefit. These insects 

 aboiind in city parks from which the English sparrows obtain much 

 of their food, and where the}'^ destroy many of the pests, especially 

 while feeding nestlings. Tlie forms eaten include Baris, Centrinus, 

 Phytonomus punctatus, Sphenophorus jjcirvulus, and various species 

 of Sitones. Unimportant leaf -beetles, such as Colaspis hrunnea and 

 Chcetocnema denticidata, are eaten, but the more injurious kinds are 

 not touched. 



Hemiptera, both Heteroptera (soldier bugs of the genera Euschistus 

 and Podisils) and Homoptera (leap-hoppers, plant-lice, scale insects, 

 and cicadas), as well as Diptera {Muscidce and TipulidcB), are sometimes 

 included in the sparrow's diet. Dr. L. O. Howard has found the bird 

 feeding on the maple scale (Pulvinaria innuraerabilis) .^ Mr. E. H. 

 Forbush has observed it eating the eggs of the white birch plant-louse 

 (1,478 eggs were found in one stomach), and also those of the larch 

 plant-louse ( Chermes) . ^ 



As regards the destruction of weeds, English sparrows would be far 

 more effective in rural districts if thej^ flew out into the fields to feed ; 

 but instead of this thej^ limit their weed-seed eating largely to the 

 barnyard and the immediate vicinity of buildings. Thus, during 

 November, 1899, 50 English sparrows were seen eating seeds from a 

 wagonful of ragweed which had been driven up to a barn. These 

 same birds would not have flown into the field where the ragweed 

 grew, because they preferred to stay near the barn and steal grain; 

 but when a quantit}^ of such food was brought to them they did not 

 refuse it. 



As has already been shown (see p. 26), English sparrows do effective 

 work in destroying seeds of weeds in the public parks of cities and 

 towns. This food does not differ materially in character from that of 

 the native sparrows, consisting of such kinds as pigeon-grass {Chceto- 

 doa glauca and C. viridis), yard-grass, Bermuda or wire-grass, lamb's- 

 quarters, crab-grass, sweet clover {Melilotus alba), knotweed, field 

 mustard, black bindweed, smartweed, climbing false buckwheat, dan# 

 delion, sunflower [HeUanthus annuus), and ragweed. 



1 Bull. 22, Div. Entomology, New Series, p. 12, 1900. 



2 Mass. Crop Report Bull. 3, p. 31, July, 1900. 



