28 FOOD HABITS OF THE GROSBEAKS. 



GRAY GROSBEAK. 

 (Pyrrhuloacia sinuata. Plate I, Frontispiece.) 



This grosbeak, which so far has received no distinctive popular 

 name, may be known as the gray grosbeak or parrot-bill. It is almost 

 the same size as the cardinal, closely resembles that species in song 

 and general demeanor, and has similar nesting habits. Moreover, 

 it frequents the same kind of country and is resident wherever found. 

 In appearance, however, it is quite dissimilar. 



In strong contrast to the glowing hue of the cardinal, the general 

 color of both sexes of the parrot-bill is light gray. The wings, tail, 

 and long crest are suffused with dark red and the wings are lined 

 with rose. This color also surrounds the beak of the male and ex- 

 tends over throat and breast in an irregular patch. The beak is 

 yellowish and is very curiously modified, being short, thick, strongly 

 curved, and apparently of great power. 



The gray grosbeak occurs over about the lower third of Arizona 

 and New Mexico and the lower half of Texas, not reaching, however, 

 the extreme eastern part of the latter State. There are two sub- 

 species, the Arizona parrot-bill (P. sinuata) and the Texas parrot- 

 bill (P. s. texana). Their range extends south to central Mexico. 



ECONOMIC RELATIONS. 



Seventy-four stomachs of gray grosbeaks have been examined. 

 All are from Texas, 59 being collected in August and 15 in Septem- 

 ber. They do not, therefore, give an adequate idea of the food habits 

 of the species, except for that locality and season. Vegetable mat- 

 ter averages 71.19 percent of the contents, and animal matter 28.81 

 percent. Contrasting the latter amount Avith 36.54 percent of ani- 

 mal food obtained during a corresponding period by the cardi- 

 nal, which is highly vegetarian, it appears exceedingly low. • It is 

 accounted for, however, by the extraordinary preference of the 

 parrot-bill for a single item of its vegetable diet, namely, the seeds 

 of grasses. 



Vegetable Food. 



Another remarkable feature of the vegetable diet is the scarcity 

 of fruit. Only a few pokeberries were eaten, not enough in fact to 

 be allotted a percentage valuation. Cardinals, however, collected in 

 the same locality at the same time consumed almost 12 percent of 

 fruit in August and nearly 30 percent in September. It appears, 

 therefore, that the gray grosbeak is distinguished from its nearest 

 relative by a remarkable indifference for fruit. 



