80 BIRDS OF CALIFORNIA AFFECTING FRUIT INDUSTRY. 



WESTERN CHIPPING SPARROW. 



(Spizella passerina arizonx.) 



The western chipping sparrow occurs during the breeding season 

 and early fall over most of the State, and winters sparingly in the 

 southern part. Like its eastern relative it is very domestic, and often 

 builds its nests in gardens and orchards. The bird well merits the 

 name socialis, now, unhappily, superseded, and its gentle and con- 

 fiding ways endear it to all bird lovers. It is one of the most insectiv- 

 orous of all the sparrows, and is valuable in the garden or about the 

 farm. 



For the investigation of this bird's food 96 stomachs were available. 

 They were taken from April to October inclusive, and probably give 

 a fair idea of the food for that part of the year. It is quite likely 

 that the winter food consists largely, if not entirely, of weed seeds, as 



4 stomachs taken in the southern part of the State in winter (not 

 included in this investigation) were almost entirely filled with this 

 food. The first division of the stomachs' contents gives 45 percent 

 of animal food and 55 percent of vegetable. 



Animal food. — The animal food consists of insects and spiders, with 

 a few bits of eggshell. Beetles were eaten from April to August inclu- 

 sive, with the maximum of 23 percent in July. In one stomach were 

 the remains of 30 weevils or snout beetles, but so badly crushed and 

 broken that specific identification was impossible. The average 

 monthly percentage is 6.7. Hymenoptera amount to 11.8 percent. 

 They are represented mostly by ants, with which several stomachs 

 were entirely filled. The greatest quantity were eaten in June, when 

 they aggregated 67.5 percent, or more than four-fifths of the animal 

 food for the month. In the other months they were taken rather 

 irregularly and in small quantities. 



Hemiptera are eaten to the average extent of 7.5 percent. They 

 appear rather irregularly, and the greatest consumption is in October, 

 20 percent. None were found in August or September stomachs, but 

 as only 4 were collected in October, and not many in the two previous 

 months, the record can not be considered as fully reliable. They con- 

 sist of stinkbugs and leafhoppers, with a few others, of which the 

 most interesting are scales and plant lice. These were each found in 



5 stomachs. The scales were the black olive species (Saissetia olese). 

 Diptera, or flies, do not appear to be favorite food with the chipping 

 sparrow. They were eaten only in the months from April to July 

 inclusive, with the maximum consumption in May, when about 12 

 percent were taken, or more than half of all. The average per month 

 is only 3 percent. 



Caterpillars are evidently the favorite animal food, as they were 

 eaten to an average extent of 14.7 percent, or more than any other 



