BIRDS IN RELATION TO THE ALFALFA WEEVIL. 27 
found in all but on© of the stomachs. The highest number taken by 
any bird was 40' adults and 51 larvae. This single stomach contained 
almost all the larvae recorded for the adult Brewer's blackbird in 
July, which may be explained by the lateness of the season in the 
Weber Valley where it was collected. The contents of stomachs 
taken at this time in the upper valley corresponded to those taken 
three or four weeks previously in the vicinity of Salt Lake. Another 
bird had eaten 60 adults, while a third had taken 40. Eight birds 
collected in 1911 well show the character of the food when the weevil 
begins to disappear. Of the entire food 5.75 per cent was weevil 
while 91.5 was grasshoppers. Though much grain was being har- 
vested in this region none was eaten by these birds. 
Of animal food other than the weevil, grasshoppers are conspicu- 
ous, amounting to 27.2 per cent of the month's food. Caterpillars, 
ground beetles, and Hymenoptera, many of which were wild bees, 
comprised a little less than 10 per cent each. The rest of the animal 
food was divided in small quantities among several items of little 
economic importance. Of the vegetable portion (11.52 per cent), 
much was grain, the bulk of which was taken from the ripened crop. 
Summary. — Brewer's blackbird, both old and young, is working 
for the best interests of the Utah farmer and in spring and summer 
is among the most effective bird enemies of the weevil. The adults 
appear to take slightly greater quantities of these insects than do the 
young, whose preference is for cutworms. Late in the season a 
marked liking for grasshoppers on the part of the old birds is also to 
their credit. About one-fifth of the food of both old and young 
during May, June, and July consists of weevils. 
This bird is seldom shot or otherwise molested in Utah, where its 
economic worth is now fully appreciated, it having recently been 
afforded legal protection. 
HOUSE FINCH. 
(Carpodacus mexicanus frontalis.) 
In Utah the house finch is probably the least insectivorous of 
all the finches, and in California has been much criticised because of 
its vegetarian habits. Primarily a seed-eating bird, it is true to its 
normal habits in Utah. 
Nine of these birds were examined, but only two had eaten the 
weevil, the larval form in each case. One had taken two and the 
other three. Caterpillars, the only other animal food eaten, occurred 
in one stomach and composed about 15 per cent of the contents. The 
vegetable portion of the food consisted of weed seeds, of which three 
species were identified: Dandelion {Taxaracum tawaracum), shep- 
herd's purse (Capsella lursa-pastoris) , and smartweed {Polygonum 
hydropiper). Parts of other seeds were present, but, as this bird 
