SPARROW FAMILY. 77 



Geranium (Geranium dissectum) 18 



Black mustard (Brassicd nigra) 3 



California poppy (Eschscholtzia californica) 1 



Miner's lettuce ( Montia perfoliata) 29 



Red maids ( Calandrinia menziesi) 4 



Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) 4 



Pigweed ( Chenopodium album) 12 



Rough pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus) 208 



Spurry (Spergula arvensis) 10 



Chickweed (Stellaria media) 16 



Catchfly (Silene sp.) 29 



Knotweed (Polygonum sp.) 76 



Sorrel (Rumex sp.) 18 



Brome grass (Bromus sp.) 20 



Wild oats (Avena fatua) 34 



Canary seed (Phalaris canariensis) 2 



Johnson grass (Andropogon sorghum) 1 



Sedge (Carex sp.) 11 



Unidentified 168 



As this bird takes a great deal of gravel, the seeds eaten are soon 

 ground into paste, which renders specific identification impossible. 

 Many stomachs were entirely filled with food in this condition, which 

 accounts for the large amount of unidentified material. Very few 

 whole seeds were unidentified. The white-crown is evidently fond 

 of variety, for several stomachs contained as many as 9 different 

 species of seeds. It will be noted also that rough pigweed is the 

 favorite food, while the Arkansas goldfinch preferred bur thistle. 



Miscellaneous vegetable matter amounts to 5 per cent, and was 

 found in 30 stomachs. Of these, 11 contained fragments of flowers, 

 probably of fruit trees, for in some cases the embryo fruit could be 

 made out. This is not a very heavy indictment on the score of 

 destroying buds and blossoms. Fibrous vegetable matter of uncer- 

 tain origin was found in quite a number of stomachs ; perhaps it was 

 grass which had been subjected to the grinding action of the stomach. 



SUMMARY. 



Evidently neither the farmer nor the fruit grower has much to fear 

 from the white-crowned sparrow. On the contrary the bird destroys 

 some insects, all of which are harmful, and a vast number of seeds of 

 noxious weeds. The little fruit it eats is mostly wild, and its grain 

 eating is practically confined to the months when the only grain 

 available is waste or volunteer. In the above record there is little 

 to substantiate the accusation that the bird destroys fruit buds, and 

 probably it is only under very exceptional circumstances that it does 

 any damage in this way. 



