84 BIRDS OF CALIFORNIA AFFECTING FRUIT INDUSTRY. 



WESTERN SONG SPARROW. 



(Melospiza melodia samuelis, heermani, and other subspecies.) 



Song sparrows inhabit not only the greater part of California but 

 all of the United States, except areas where conditions are unsuitable. 

 These birds vary much in habits, as well as in size and coloration. 

 Some forms live along streams bordered by deserts, others in swamps 

 among bulrushes and tules, others in timbered regions, others on 

 rocky barren hillsides, and still others in rich fertile valleys. Each 

 area has its peculiar form, and in fact it is hard to imagine any locality 

 adapted to a land bird of the Temperate Zone which does not fit some 

 form of the song sparrow. With such a variety of habitat, the food 

 of the species necessarily varies considerably. It is impossible to 

 treat here the several forms separately, and the best we can do is to 

 give a general idea of the yearly diet of the species as a whole. 



For the investigation of the food of the western song sparrows, 321 

 stomachs, belonging to 4 or 5 subspecies, were available. They 

 were collected in every month of the year, and fairly represent the 

 whole State. The first analysis separates the food into 21 percent 

 of animal matter and 79 of vegetable. This is less animal food than 

 is eaten by the snowbird, much less than by the chipping sparrow, 

 but much more than by the white-crowned or golden-crowned 

 sparrows. 



Animal food. — Animal food, consisting , principally of insects, is 

 eaten with a fair degree of regularity through the year. Beginning 

 with a minimum of 3 percent in September, based on the examina- 

 tion of 97 stomachs, it rises gradually to a maximum of over 71 

 percent in May. Beetles are the largest item, and a greater or less 

 number were eaten every month except December, an omission 

 probably accidental. The average for the year is 6.6 percent. In 

 June, the month of greatest consumption, nearly 29 percent were 

 eaten. With the exception of the remains of tiger beetles (Cicin- 

 delidse) in 3 stomachs and predaceous ground beetles (Carabidse) in 

 10, all were of harmful families, the leaf beetles (Chrysomelidse) and 

 weevils (Rhynchophora) being most prominent. 



Hymenoptera (bees, wasps, and ants) were taken very irregularly, 

 and amount to only 3 percent of the food. Ants were found in 22 

 stomachs, and bees and wasps in 20. Hemiptera, or bugs, form only 

 about 2 percent of the year's food, but 17 percent of the food eaten 

 in May. The black olive scale was found in 2 stomachs and a species 

 not identified in 1. Leafhoppers, spittle insects (Cercopidse), and 

 a few other forms make up the rest of this item. Diptera (flies) were 

 eaten from May to September inclusive. In May they amount to 

 over 11 per cent, but fall away rapidly, and the aggregate for the 

 year is only 2 percent. A few crane flies (Tipulidse) and the house 

 fly family (Muscidse) were the only forms recognized. 



