SPAKROW FAMILY. 81 



insect. They appear in the food during every month of the bird's 

 stay in the north except October, and probably a greater number of 

 stomachs would have shown some in that month. Two stomachs 

 contained pupae of the codling moth. Only one stomach held grass- 

 hoppers, and that was taken in June. Some spiders and eggshells 

 make up nearly 1 percent, and complete the animal food. 



Vegetable food. — Grain in the shape of oats was found in 5 stomachs, 

 all collected in July. The total amount for that month is 6 percent, 

 or less than 1 percent for the season. A mere trace of fruit was found 

 in one stomach in June. Weed seed was eaten in every month of the 

 bird's stay, and probably throughout the year. It amounts to over 

 53 percent of the food, and in September rises to 98 percent. June 

 was the month of least consumption, 9 percent, when insects evidently 

 took its place. The species identified, and the number of stomachs 

 in which each was found, are as follows: 



Bur thistle ( Centaurea melitensis) 2 



Nightshade (Solarium nigrum) 1 



Alfilaria (Erodium cicutarium) 37 



Miner's lettuce ( Montia perfoliata) 3 



Red maids ( Calindrinia menzeisi) 2 



Rough pigweed (Amaranihus retroflexus) 16 



Chickweed (Stellaria media) 13 



Knotweed (Polygonum sp.) 1 



Timothy (Phleum pratense) 1 



Meadow grass (Poa sp.) 1 



Panic grass (Panicum sanguinale) 2 



Wild oats (Avenafatua) 1 



Sedge (Carex sp.) 2 



Unidentified 32 



Most of the unidentified seeds were so badly ground up that it was 

 impossible to recognize the species. The greater part probably 

 belonged to species included in the above list. A few very small 

 grass seeds were not further identified. 



Feeding the young. — A nest with 4 young of this species, about 6 days 

 old when first observed, was watched at different hours rfn four days. 

 On the morning of the fifth day a pair of jays carried off the young 

 birds. In the seven hours of observation 119 feedings were noted, 

 or an average of 17 feedings per hour, or four and one-fourth feedings 

 per hour to each nestling. This would give for a day of fourteen hours 

 at least 238 insects destroyed by the brood. 



SUMMARY. 



In the foregoing discussion of the food of the chipping sparrow it 

 plainly appears that the diet is made up almost exclusively of harm- 

 ful elements. No useful beetles of any consequence were eaten. Of 

 Hymenoptera, ants, which are either harmful or neutral, predominate, 

 38301— Bull. 34—10 6 



