THE HOUSE SPARROW. 



415 



turnip seed ; hay seed ; sprouts of young barley half an inch 

 long ; pollen of the sycamore and apple ; mangold leaves. 



June. Customary food. — Corn; vegetable matter ; seeds of 

 various sorts ; peas. Occasional food. — Gooseberries and other 

 fruit ; lettuces ; small beetles ; mangold leaves. 



July. Customary food. — Young wheat, barley, and oats ; 

 vegetable matter ; seeds of various weeds. Occasional food. — 

 Peas ; small beetles ; beans ; seeds of wild spinach. 



August. Customary food. — Wheat, barley, oats. Occa- 

 sional food. — Seeds of corn, bindweed, knotgrass, &c. ; aphides, 

 small beetles, daddy-longlegs (Tipula), caterpillars of Teras 

 contaminana, moth of Crambus culmcllus. 



September. Customary food. — Corn ; seeds of many kinds, 

 especially the knotgrass, and corn bindweed. Occasional, food. 

 — Caterpillars ; berries ; seeds of plantain. 



October. Customary food. — Grain, some of it refuse 

 grain ; seeds of many kinds, including knotgrass. Occasional 

 food not recorded. 



November. Customary food. — Grain, seeds of plants. 

 Occasional food. — Newly sown seeds of wheat ; small cater- 

 pillars. 



December. Customary food. — Grain, principally from 

 stacks. Occasional food. — Seeds, maize, sprouting beans. 



Food of Young Sparrows to the time of leaving 

 the Nest. 



May. Customary food. — Grains of last year's corn ; small 

 beetles ; caterpillars. Occasional food. — Buds ; red spider ; 

 hair-worms ; small flies. 



June. Customary food. — Caterpillars of various kinds, up 

 to three-quarters of an inch in length ; young wheat. Occasional 

 food. — Beetles, large brown cabbage moth, wireworm. 



July. Customary food. — Caterpillars; beetles; soft milky 

 grains of wheat and barley. Occasional food. — Bluebottle-flies. 



August. Customary food. — Caterpillars ; beetles ; young 

 corn. Occasional food. — Small chrysalids. 



To the above records Mr. Gurney added the following sum- 

 mary : — " It may be said that about 75 per cent, of an adult 

 sparrow's food during its life is corn of some kind. The remain- 



