BLACKBIRD, ORIOLE, AND MEADOWLARK FAMILY. 63 



Grain constitutes 54 percent of the yearly food of the Brewer 

 blackbird. It is eaten in every month, and forms a respectable 

 percentage in each. The greatest amount is taken in December, 

 93 percent, and the least in April, 4 percent. Oats are the favorite 

 grain. They amount to nearly 46 percent, and were found in 157 

 stomachs. Wheat amounts to nearly 3 percent, and was contained 

 in 11 stomachs. Corn ranks next as to quantity eaten, less than 2 

 percent, but it was found in 1? stomachs. Barley occurred in only 

 5 stomachs, but amounted to a little more than 2 percent. Only 

 1 stomach held rye, but it amounted to more than 1 percent, for 

 the stomach was nearly filled with it. Oats were the sole contents 

 of 14 stomachs and wheat of 2. No stomach was completely filled 

 with any other grain. Oats are evidently the favorite grain, 

 whether we judge by the percentage eaten or by the number of 

 stomachs containing them. Many of these were wild oats and of 

 little economic value. 



Weed seed amounts to nearly 9 percent of the food, and, while not 

 consumed in large quantities, is eaten to some extent in every month. 

 The greatest amount is taken in March, 26 percent. October comes 

 next, with nearly 16 percent. The least is eaten in December and 

 January, when grain is at its highest point. But little weed seed is 

 eaten in May and June, when cherries demand attention. W T eed 

 seed was found in 134 stomachs, but in rather small quantities in 

 each. No stomach was completely filled with it. It seems to be 

 taken, moreover, rather irregularly, as though it were merely a 

 makeshift. A few other odd items, mostly rubbish, amount to less 

 than 1 percent, and complete the quota of vegetable food. 



Seeds of the following uncultivated plants were identified: 



Lesser tarweed (Hemizonia fasciculata) . Spurry (Spergula arvensis). 



Tarweed {Madia sativa). Chickweed (Stellaria media). 



Bur thistle (Centaurea melitensis). Catchfly (Silene sp.). 



Alfilaria (Erodium cicutarium). Knotweed (Polygonums^.). 



Black mustard (Brassica nigra). Brome grass (Bromus sp.). 



Miners' lettuce (Montia perfoliata). Wild oats (Avena fatua) . 



Red maids (Calandrinia menziesi). Monterey pine (Pinus radiata). 

 Pigweed (Amaranthus retrofiexus). 



Food of young. — Among the stomachs examined were those of 29 

 nestlings, varying in age from twenty-four hours to some that were 

 nearly fledged. Taken altogether, the stomachs contained 89 

 percent of animal matter to 11 of vegetable. Over 74 percent of 

 all was composed of caterpillars, grasshoppers, and spiders. Beetles 

 in general amount to 6 percent of the food, or a little more than half 

 the quantity eaten by the adults. Very singularly, however, 4.5 

 percent of these are carabids, or predatory ground beetles, nearly 

 twice as many as are taken by the parent birds, although soft food 

 is usually preferred for feeding nestlings. Caterpillars, with a few 



