BLACKBIRD, ORIOLE, AND MEADOWLARK FAMILY. 57 



these the bicolored redwing and his redwinged relatives find con- 

 genial quarters. 



For the laboratory investigation of the food of this species, 198 

 stomachs were available. They were collected in every month 

 of the year, and probably give a fair idea of the bird's food. It 

 was found to consist of 14 percent of animal matter to 86 of vege- 

 table. The animal food is practically all insects, and the vegetable 

 either grain or weed seed. 



Animal food. — Most of the animal food was taken in May, June, 

 and July. May stomachs showed the maximum of nearly 91 per- 

 cent. There is a sudden rise in the amount from April to May and 

 a sudden fall from July to August. The insects composing this 

 part of the food were distributed among several of the most com- 

 mon orders, but none of them appear to be specially sought after. 

 Beetles aggregate about 5 percent. A few were predaceous ground 

 beetles, but the most were either leaf beetles (Chrysomelidoe) or 

 weevils. Hymenoptera, in the shape of wasps and ants, were taken 

 very sparingly in the four months from May to August inclusive, and 

 amount to about one-fourth of 1 percent for the year. Bugs were 

 eaten during the six warmer months, and for the year aggregate 

 just 1 percent. Grasshoppers constitute over 15 percent of the 

 food in July. They are a fraction of 1 percent for the other months 

 and average 1 .5 percent for the year. 



Caterpillars aggregate 5.5 percent, the highest of any item of 

 animal food. In May they amount to over 45 percent of the food 

 of that month, which is more than for all the other months together. 

 Probably they are fed largely to the nestlings, as a few taken in 

 May had eaten a large percentage of these insects. It is worthy of 

 special notice that the caterpillar known in the cotton-raising States 

 as the cotton bollworm, and elsewhere as the corn-ear worm, Helio'Ms 

 obsoleta, was found in 7 stomachs. This is certainly to the credit of 

 the bird, aiid it may be that its visits to cornfields are for this insect 

 primarily, and that corn is taken only incidentally. A few miscel- 

 laneous insects amount to less than 1 percent and complete the 

 animal portion of the diet. 



The following are the insects identified in stomachs of the bicolored 

 redwing : 



COLEOPTERA. 



Elaphrus ruscarius. Systena ochracea. 



Gastroidea cyanea csesia. Notoxus alamedx. 



Chsetocnema minuta. Apocrypha dyschirioides. 



LEPIDOPTERA. 



Heliothis obsoleta. 



