32 



FOOD HABITS OF THE GROSBEAKS. 



amount of grain taken bringing the total amount of vegetable food 

 up to 71.19 percent. More than half of the total subsistence con- 

 sists of grass seeds alone. 



The 28.81 percent of animal food is made up almost exclusively of 

 harmful species, among which are the most important pests of the 

 cotton plant, namely, the cotton worm and the cotton boll weevil. 



Although the data on hand are insufficient to determine the exact 

 economic status of the bird, it may be stated with confidence that 

 the gray grosbeak is almost entirely beneficial. 



LIST OF SEEDS AND INVERTEBRATES EATEN BY THE GRAY GROSBEAK. 



GRAIN. 



Kafir corn {Sorghum vulgar -c durra). 



Joint grass (Paspalum sp.). 

 Crab grass (Syntherisma sp.). 

 Yellow foxtail (Chcetochloa glauca). 

 Bur grass (Cenchrus tribuloides) . 

 Wire grass (Eleusine indica). 

 Bindweed (Polygonum sp.). 

 Goosefoot (Chenopodium sp.). 

 Rough pigweed (Amaranthus retro- 

 flex us ) . 

 Pokeweed (Phytolacca decandra). 



Carpetweed (Mollugo verticillata) 



Sorrel (Oxalis sp.). 



Spurge (Euphorbia sp.). 



Croton (Croton sp.). 



Mallow (Malva sp.). 



Sida sp. 



Vervain (Verbena sp.). 



Nightshade (Solarium sp.). 



Sunflower (Helianthus sp.). 



COLEOPTERA. 



Bronzy wood-borers (Buprestidse). 

 Long-horned beetles (Ceranibycidae) 



Liopus crassulus. 



Hippopsis lemniscata. 

 Leaf-beetles (Chrysomelidse) : 



Chlamys plicata. 



Scarred snout - beetles (Otiorhyn- 

 chidse) : 



Gompsus auricephalus. 

 True snout-beetles (Curculionidae) : 



Anthonomus grandis. 



Acalles sp. 



HEMIPTERA. 



Cicadas (Cicadidse) : 

 Cicada sp. 



Leaf-hoppers ( Jassidse ) . 

 Lantern flies ( Fulgoridse ) . 



ORTHOPTERA. 



Short-horned grasshoppers (Acridii- 



dse) : 

 Syrbula admirabilis. 



Long-horned grasshoppers (Locusti- 

 dae). 



LEPIDOPTERA. 



Owlet-moths (Noctuidae) : 

 Prodenia ornithogalli. 

 Alabama argillacea. 



