98 BIRDS OF A MARYLAND FARM. 



these native species are, on the whole, however, extremely valuable to 

 man. The consumption of weed seeds, the chief service of these 

 birds as well as of those that visit the farm only in the colder season, 

 has already been emphasized (see p. 72). For a detailed account of 

 the food habits of sparrows the reader is referred to ' The Relation 

 of Sparrows to Agriculture.'^' As there shown, and as set forth in 

 the first part of this bulletin (see p. 17), the English sparrow difiers 

 radically in habits from the native sparrows and is a pest that should 

 be exterminated. 



One towhee {Pijpilo erythrophthalmus) was taken September 9, 

 1896. Its stomach was found to contain a locust leaf -mining beetle, a 

 weevil, a ground-beetle, a bug, a cricket, 6 ants, and remains of 

 broken seeds. 



Ten cardinals ( Cardinalis cardincdis) were collected from February 

 to November, inclusive, with the omission of March. Twent3^-two 

 percent of their food consisted of animal matter (insects and spiders) 

 and 78 percent of vegetable matter (half fruit and half seeds). Of the 

 minor proportion, bugs formed 1 percent; spiders, May -flies, and 

 grasshoppers, each 2 percent, and beetles 15 percent. The beetles 

 were as follows: Agrilus egenus^ Dicerca obscura^ Macrodactylus siib- 

 sjjinosus^ Donacia^ Odontota dor sails ^ Hyperplatys aspersus^ Anisodac- 

 tyliis agricola. On November 29, 1901, two cardinals were noted 

 eating seeds of the tulip tree. 



One stomach of the indigo bird ( Cyanosjnza cyaneci) was examined. 

 It held 1 beetle {Agrilus egenus) and a little vegetable debris. 



TANAGERS. 



At Marshall Hall tanagers were never detected pilfering cultivated 

 fruit, as they have often been known to do elsewhere. 



One summer tanager {Piranga ruhra)^ collected August 5, 1898, had 

 eaten wild blackberries, a bee {Agaj)ostemon), and a scoliid wasp. 



Three scarlet tanagers {Piranga erythromelas)^ taken in May and 

 August, had fed exclusively on insects, which comprised a bee {Ilalic- 

 tus), parasitic wasps, white ants, a soldier bug {Nezara hilaris)^ 

 click-beetles, darkling-beetles {Helops micans)^ and the sad flower- 

 beetle {Euphoria itielancliolicci), 



SWALLOWS. 



The following swallows were noted: 



Purple martin [Progne suhis), 2. 



Barn swallow {Hirundo erythrogastra) , 10. 



White-bellied swallow {Tachycineta bicolor), 5. 



Bank swallow {Riparia riparia) , 6. 



Rough-winged swallow (Stelgldopteryx serripennis), 7. 



«The Relation of Sparrows to Agriculture. Bull. No. 15, Biological Survey, Dept. 

 of Agriculture, Washington, 1901. 



