18 
USEFn. 15IRI)S 
spiders, comprise the remainder of diet. All these insects are more 
(m less harmfnl, except a few predaceous beetles, which amonnt to 
eight per cent. Prof. S. A. Forbes of Illinois examined one hundred 
and eight specimens secured in ev^ery month except November and 
January, and results of these examinations prove that although the 
bluebird eats some insects which are benehcial, and occasionally 
takes a raspberry or gooseberry, it consumes such an immense 
number of injurious insects, cutworms, and army Avorms, moths, 
grasshoppers, and crickets, that it is undoubtedly a benehcial bird. 
Nestlings of the bluebird, like the young* of almost all of our com- 
mon birds, are fed an enormous quantity of insects- These birds 
haA^e been knoAvn to arrive in the vicinity of i\Iinnea])olis as early 
as JanuarA*, l)ut generally they need not be looked for until late 
in March. They remain Avith us until late in October and occasion- 
ally into NoA*ember. 
BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER. 
(Plate 3, Fig. 20.) 
A beautiful representative of the Avarbler family and a strictly 
insectivorous bird, though breeding as it does in the evergreen 
Avoods, it consumes more insects there than it does in the neighbor- 
hood of farms. HoweA*er, eA*en the Avarblers that pass through this 
latitude in spring and again in the fall, not nesting here, are useful, 
in that they are keen hunters of insects found in our trees at that 
time. The Blackburnian warbler is hardly to be regarded as a 
common Inrd in Minnesota and it seems (juite natural in AueAA* of its 
gaudy colors that it should winter in the tropics. It is about hve 
and a quarter inches in length, and the male, strikingly colored, is 
indicated in the illustration. The back is streaked Avith black and 
Avhite and the deep orange shoAvn in the figure extends OA*er the 
chin, throat, and breast; under parts are tinged Avith the same color. 
Regarded by many as the most beautiful of all the Avarblers. 
ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK. 
(Plate 3, Fig. 21.) 
This beautiful bird and excellent songster is common in almost 
all parts of Minnesota, the male at once recognized by the striking 
black and Avhite coloration and beautiful rose coloring of breast and 
under side of AAungs. The female is broAvnish or oliA*aceous and in 
her th e rose on the male’s Avings is rei)laced by yelloAV. As the name 
