98 



BULLETIN 326, TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 





beneficial, amount to 2.03 per cent. A wasp and an ant were identified among 

 these. Diptera amount to only 0.21 per cent and were eaten "by a single bird 

 in February. Earwigs (0.83 per cent) were taken six times. Spiders (7.74 

 per cent), eaten by 30 birds, were taken in largest numbers in March and April. 

 Little tree toads (Eleutherodactylus sp.) were captured twice, and with a very 

 small quantity of miscellaneous matter make up 0.61 per cent. 



The only harm done by this vireo is in the destruction of a few ladybirds, 

 beneficial Hymenoptera, and tree toads. But to offest these are found much 

 larger numbers of injurious beetles, bugs, caterpillars, and other insects, in 

 destroying which great good is accomplished. The bird is especially useful in 

 coffee plantations and it abounds there. It comes, too, about the villages and 

 country houses, where it aids in ridding the shade trees of their pests. 



The following were definitely identified in the stomachs : 



HEMIPTERA. 



Ormenis sp 1 



Proarno hilaris 6 



Phymata sp 1 



Spartocera fusca 1 



Ifezara sp 1 



COLEOPTERA. 



BcymniUus sp 3 



Cycloneda limbifer 3 



Atcenius stercorator 1 



Ebaria sp 1 



Leptostylus sp 1 



coleoptera — continued. 



Cryptocephahts sp 9 



Alyochrous sp 1 



Helops sp 2 



Lachnopus sp 3 



Diaprepes spenyleri 3 



HYMENOPTERA. 



Cerceris sp 1 



VERTEBRATA. 



Eleutherodactylus sp 2 



Vegetable food. — Vegetable matter (57.82 per cent) was found in 80 of the 

 84 stomachs available for laboratory examination. It was composed almost 

 entirely of wild fruits and berries, though frequently its presence was detected 

 only by the seeds, the pulpy exterior having been completely digested. In some 

 cases also only the skins of small fruits were found, so that possibly the pits 

 are sometimes removed before swallowing. None of the fruits taken have any 

 importance to man nor would their dissemination through seeds scattered by the 

 birds be of any consequence. Those sought most eagerly may be determined 

 from the list which follows : 



Wild fig (Ficus sp.) 2 



Espino (Xantlioxylum sp.) 9 



Guaraguou (Ouarea trichilioides) 11 



Jatropha (Jatropha sp.) 2 



Camacey (Miconia sp.) 2 



Camacey (Miconia prasina) 1 



Adelia (Adelia sp.) 15 



Nightshade (Solan um sp.) 3 



Aji (Capsicum sp.) 8 



Moral (Cordia sp.) 6 



Roble guayo (Bourreria sp.) 1 



Tantillo (Randia aculeata) 1 



Palo moro (Psychotria brachiata) 1 



Concombre (Cucmnis sp.) 1 



AMERICAN REDSTART. Setophaga ruticilla (Linnaeus). 

 REINITA, CAXDELITAj Coli Rubio. 



The American redstart is a common winter visitant to Porto Rico. The last 

 one for the spring I saw on Culebra Island April 19, and Dr. Richmond (MS.) 

 noted one at Ponce April 16, 1900. Stahl (1887, p. 451), says that they arrive 

 from the north in August. These birds frequent the mangroves, forest growths, 

 and coffee plantations, and sometimes shade trees about houses. The greater 

 portion seen were immature birds and females, though occasionally males in 

 full plumage were observed. As always, these birds were very active, searching 

 through the limbs for insects, and expertly catching insects on the wing. On El 

 Yunque, in the dense forests, they were seen up to 1,500 feet altitude, and else- 



