ECONOMIC VALUE OF BIRDS TO THE STATE. 



45 



its breeding season the Bobolink is an undeniably useful bird, feeding on insects and 

 weed seeds, but during its migrations in August and September, when it visits the 

 rice-fields of South Carolina and Georgia, it is quite as undeniably injurious. Admit- 

 ting that the injury it does in the south is in excess of the good it does in the 

 north, we fear that we are not as yet sufficiently altruistic to destroy this well-loved 

 bird for the benefit of those whom it harms., and for the present, therefore, each 

 State will doubtless deal with its birds without relation to their status in other 

 parts of their range. 



Baltimore Oriole: Hangbird (Icterus galbuld). — "Observation both in the field 

 and laboratory shows that caterpillars constitute the largest item of its fare. In 113 

 stomachs they formed 34 per cent of the food, and are eaten regularly in varying 

 quantities during all the months in which the bird remains in this country, although 

 fewest are eaten in July, when a little fruit is also taken. The other insects consist 

 of beetles, bugs, ants, wasps, grasshoppers, and some spiders. The beetles are prin- 

 cipally click beetles, the larvae of which are among the most destructive insects 

 known ; and the bugs include plant and bark lice, both very harmful, but so small 

 and obscure as to be passed over unnoticed by most birds." (Beal.) 



In spite of this good record Orioles are known to do much damage to grapes in 

 the latter part of August by puncturing one or more grapes in a bunch, thereby 

 decreasing their market value. As has been previously suggested, however, the 

 vineyards can be protected from them by the discharge of unshotted guns, and as 

 comparatively few birds of this species remain north of the latitude of New York 

 after the first week in September, it would clearly be undesirable to kill so useful 

 and beautiful a bird when by the exercise of a little vigilance for a comparatively 

 short period the harm it might do may be prevented. 



Meadowlarks {Sturnella magna). — "The Meadowlark is almost wholly bene- 

 ficial, although a few complaints have been made that it pulls sprouting grain, and 

 one farmer claims that it eats clover seed. As a rule, however, it is looked upon 

 with favor and is not disturbed. 



" In the 238 stomachs examined, animal food (practically all insects) constituted 

 73 per cent of the contents and vegetable matter 27 per cent. As would naturally 

 be supposed, the insects were ground species, such as beetles, bugs, grasshoppers 

 and caterpillars, with a few flies, wasps and spiders. A number of the stomachs 

 were taken from birds that had been killed when the ground was covered with snow, 

 but still they contained a large percentage of insects, showing the bird's skill in 

 finding proper food under adverse circumstances. 



" Of the various insects eaten, crickets and grasshoppers are the most important, 



