200 BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 



as one of the best feathered friends of the farmer. My personal 1 

 knowledge of the food-habits of this species is limited to examinations, 

 made in May, 1882, when these birds were, to my great surprise, ex- 

 ceedingly abundant in the woods throughout various parts of Chester, 

 Lancaster, Delaware and Philadelphia counties. All the birds ex- 

 amined by me were shot in woods, feeding mostly on hickory and 

 beech trees, in the neighborhood of West Chester, Pa. May 11, six 

 males, on hickory trees, food consisted entirely of blossoms. May 12, 

 thirteen birds, eight males, three on hickory trees, others on beech 

 trees. All showed blossoms ; two contained blossoms of the hickory,, 

 with those of the beech ; the remainder had all fed on beech blossoms,, 

 except three birds, which had in their gizzards small black seeds, and 

 some few, flat grayish seeds. May 13. eleven birds, seven males, all 

 contained blossoms of beech, in addition to which, two males re- 

 vealed remains of beetles and one of them had also eaten a few flies. 

 May 1-5, eleven birds, ten males, three taken on beech and maple 

 trees had only fed on blossoms ; the others were found, when first dis- 

 covered, feeding on the ground in the woods, the stomach of one con- 

 tained simply fragments of a beetle ; the rest had eaten blossoms and 

 small seeds. May 16, three males, food exclusively blossoms. May 

 17, four birds, three females, chiefly blossoms and small seeds, with 

 few larvae, and fragments of beetles. May 19, two birds ; male, beech 

 blossoms ; female had in her gizzard blossoms, remains of beetles, and 

 several wasps. May 20, 23 to 27, inclusive s eleven birds, nine females ; 

 two males taken on the 20th had fed chiefly on beetles and a few flat 

 cylindrical seeds ; the remaining nine specimens were shot on various 

 dates, the last being taken on the 27th, when they were found to be 

 very scarce. An examination of their viscera showed that in addition 

 to blossoms and small seeds, they all had fed to a small extent on in- 

 sects, chiefly beetles and flies. 



GENUS PASSERINA. VIEILLOT. 

 598. Passerina cyanea (LiNN.). 



Indigo Bunting. 



(Plate 36.) 



Length, about 5^ inches ; extent, about 8| inches. 



Hab. Eastern United States, south in winter to Veragua. 



Very abundant from May to October. When they first come, and 

 also in the autumn before leaving, these birds are sometimes seen in 

 small flocks. The males arrive a few days before the females, and in 

 small parties often visit our gardens and orchards, where, in the 



