84 BIRDS OF ARKANSAS. 



birds — belated migrants — at Lake City, April 29, and Hanna col- 

 lected 5 specimens from a flock of 25 at Van Buren on December 24. 

 The food of the pipit is largely insectivorous. It seems to be espe- 

 cially fond of weevils and has been found to be an important enemy of 

 the boll weevil, large numbers of which it destroys in winter and 

 spring. On the farm pipits often follow the plowman and pick up 

 larvae of ground beetles, weevils, and other insects. 



Sprague Pipit. Anthus spraguei. 



This is a western species, occurring regularly in migration as far 

 east as eastern Nebraska and Oklahoma. There is one record from 

 Arkansas published many years ago by Dr. Elliott Coues, who quotes 

 from a letter received from Mr. Howard Ayers and dated Fort Smith, 

 February 26, 1879, in which the writer states that this bird appears 

 in that vicinity about November in small flocks and later in im- 

 mense numbers, mingling with Lapland longspurs and remaining 

 until February. 1 It seems highly probable, however, that this ob- 

 server was in part mistaken, and that many, if not most, of the pipits 

 seen were the common species {Anthus rubescens). 



Mocking Bird. Mimus polyglottos. 



The mocking bird, one of the best-known birds in the State, is a com- 

 mon and generally distributed permanent resident. It is essentially 

 a bird of cultivated regions, and is rather uncommon in heavily tim- 

 bered regions and in the higher mountains. None were seen on Rich 

 Mountain, although they were numerous in the valley around Mena. 

 At Pettigrew the bird was scarce and at Mammoth Spring rather un- 

 common, but at all other places visited, including Lake City, Conway, 

 Stuttgart, Wiimot, Camden, and Womble, it was abundant. At 

 Clinton it is reported as a rare breeder in the valleys. In winter it is 

 reported common at Stuttgart (Hollister), and Van Buren (Hanna). 

 This bird is sometimes destructive to grapes, figs, and other small 

 fruits. On the other hand, it renders good service by destroying 

 noxious insects, such as grasshoppers, crickets, caterpillars, beetles, 

 cutworms, cotton worms, and boll weevils. Its food includes also 

 various seeds and wild berries, including the seeds of dogwood, 

 hackberry, red cedar, holly, and pokeberry. 



Catbird. Dumetella carolinensis . 



The catbird is a common summer resident over the greater part of 

 the State. It was not observed on Rich Mountain, but at Pettigrew, 

 in the Ozarks, it is fairly common. It is reported as breeding also at 

 Pea Ridge, Clinton, Newport, and Helena. I found it numerous at 

 Mammoth Spring, Turrell, Wiimot, Camden, and Delight. The 



i Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, IV, p. 238, 1879. 



