BIRDS OF PORTO RICO. 



119 



in 34 stomachs. The ameiva was found twice, the other remains being those of 

 small anolis. Miscellaneous animal matter comes to 1 per cent. 

 A list of identified animal matter follows : 



ORTHOPTERA. 



Neoconocephalus macropterus 1 



Anurogryllus muticus 4 



Scapteriscus didactylus S 



HEMIPTERA. 



Ormenis sp 1 



Proarno hilaris 8 



Emesa sp 2 



Margarodes formicarum 1 



Lecanium sp 1 



COLEOPTERA. 



Eyperaspis apicalis 1 



Monocrepidius bifovcatus 1 



Chrysobothris sp 1 



Laclinostema sp 2 



Cryptocephalns sp 1 



Bystena basalis 2 



Lachnopus sp 23 



Diaprepes spengleri 39 



Euscepes porcellus 4 



Chalcodermus sp 1 



Chalcodermus pupillatus 1 



Baris torquatus 1 



Metamasius hemipterus 13 



LEPIDOPTERA. 



Alabama argillacea 2 



HTMENOPTERA. 



Pheidole sp 1 



Pheidole fallaw var. antillensis 1 



Solenopsis geminata 3 



Strumigenys rogeri 1 



ARACHNID A. 



Margaropus annulatus 2 



MOLLUSCA. 



Subulina sp 16 



Planorbis sp 9 



VERTEBRATA. 



Leptodactylus sp 2 



Leptodactylus albilabris 5 



Eleutherodactylus sp 3 



Ameiva exul 2 



Anolis sp 26 



Vegetable food. — Of the 6.62 per cent vegetable matter, 2.19 per cent is com- 

 posed of corn. This was eaten by 13 of the 98 birds examined and was secured 

 mainly in July, when it amounts to 11.82 per cent. The grain taken was con- 

 sumed in December, April, and July. Seeds (largely grass seeds) amount to 

 2.96 per cent and vegetable rubbish comes to 1.45 per cent. 



A list of identified species is appended : 



Crab grass (Syntherisma sanguinalis) _ 1 



Smut grass (Sporobolus indicus) 1 



Bichromena (Bichromena ciliata) 1 



Corn (Zea mays) 13 



Nut rush (Scleria sp.) 1 



Wild fig (Ficus sp.) 2 



Amaranth (Amaranthus sp.) 1 



Purslane {Portulaca oleracea) 1 



Aji (Capsicum sp.) 1 



Concombre (Cucumis sp.) 1 



Summary. — Though the blackbird eats fewer mole crickets than is popularly 

 believed, it consumes such large numbers of weevils, directly injurious to cane 

 and other crops, that it should be classed in the foremost rank of beneficial 

 species. Nearly one-fifth of its food is composed of Orthoptera, and many inju- 

 rious bugs are destroyed. May beetles and white grubs are eaten voraciously 

 and cutworms are favorites. Two of the birds examined had eaten cattle ticks 

 and the birds were observed searching the cattle for them. Considerable num- 

 bers of lizards and amphibians are eaten, and these with the corn consumed 

 form the injurious elements in the food. Most of the grain taken was secured 

 in July, and at least one-third of it was waste grain. However, should the 

 blackbirds gather in large flocks to feed on grain it may be necessary to destroy 

 some of them in order to drive others out. It should be ascertained first that 

 they are doing damage, for they frequent cornfields, as they do the cane, for 

 the shade offered from the heat of the sun. No instance of extensive damage 

 to grain came to my notice, depredations being confined to a few ears, a toll 



