56 BIRDS OF CALIFORNIA AFFECTING FRUIT INDUSTRY. 



were present in numbers, but two weeks later, when the earlier 

 varieties were gone and the later ones were ripe, hardly any smaller 

 birds were present, while the jays were as busy as ever; and still 

 later, at the end of the season, when the prune crop came on, jays 

 were still taking a heavy toll. 



It will thus be seen that the jay has many more bad qualities 

 than good. In fact, from the economic point of view he has few 

 redeeming virtues. Something may be said in his favor from the 

 esthetic side, as he is a handsome bird, and people interested in 

 country life would no doubt miss his familiar presence. But as the 

 case stands there are far too many California jays. If they could 

 be reduced to a fourth or a half of their present numbers, the remain- 

 der would probably do no serious harm. This is exactly what is 

 likely to take place gradually as the State becomes more thickly 

 settled and forest and chaparral lands decrease. 



BLACKBIRD, ORIOLE, AND MEADOWLARK FAMILY. 



(Icteridx.) 



The family which includes the orioles, blackbirds, and meadow- 

 larks embraces species widely different in form, plumage, nesting 

 habits, and food. The orioles nest in trees and obtain the greater 

 part of their food thereon. The blackbirds nest upon low trees, 

 bushes, or reeds, and take their food from trees to some extent, but 

 mostly from the ground. The meadowlarks, the most terrestrial 

 of all, nest upon the ground and obtain nearly all of their food there. 

 Orioles eat the greatest percentage of insects, the meadowlarks eat 

 a little less, while the blackbirds eat the least. Blackbirds rank 

 next to sparrows as eaters of weed seeds, especially in winter. 



Besides the Brewer blackbird there are in California 5 species 

 and subspecies of redwinged blackbirds, which are so much alike 

 that most of them can be distinguished only by ornithologists. 

 All have practically the same nesting habits, and their food is not 

 essentially different. 



BICOLORED REDWING. 



(Agelaius gubernator calif ornicus .) 



The bicolored redwing is distributed locally over a large part of 

 California, but owing to its peculiar habit of building its nest 

 directly over water, the areas it occupies are restricted. Flooded 

 marshes and ponds overgrown with bulrushes or tules are much 

 to its taste, affording abundant nesting sites. Such places are 

 common in California and many are of large extent — as those on 

 Suisun Bay and in the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys. Among 



