BIRDS IN RELATION TO THE ALFALFA WEEVIL. 21 
In April, 27 of these birds were collected, and the weevil, which 
was found to comprise one-sixth of their food, was present in all but 
seven. The insects taken were adults, and the average was 14.4 
weevils per bird. One bird had taken 75 of these insects, another 60, 
and three others 51, 48, and 33, respectively. 
Other animal food is important, as the largest single item was 
caterpillars, amounting to nearly 22 per cent. These insects were 
present in all but 6 of the 27 stomachs, and in several instances formed 
a considerable proportion of the food. In one 15 caterpillars formed 
three-fourths and in another an equal number composed about two- 
thirds of the stomach contents. Ground beetles, many of which were 
of the genus Amara, amounted to about one-eighth of the food. 
Hymenoptera, largely parasitic ichneumons, were eaten to the extent 
of 6.5 per cent, while weevils other than Phytonomiis, scarabseid 
beetles, Hemiptera, and Diptera formed about 2 per cent each. Of 
the vegetable food (27.26 per cent) a considerable portion (15.89 per 
cent) was grain, while the remainder was weed seeds and a little 
rubbish. 
During May an increased consumption of caterpillars appears to 
explain a decrease in the percentage of weevils. The larvae, eaten 
on an average of 3.83 per bird, and adults at the rate of 7.58, totaled 
nearly 11 per cent of the bird's food. A male taken in May had de- 
stroyed the largest number of adults, 81 of the insects comprising 92 
per cent of the stomach contents. Another had made away with 
over 70 larva? and 32 adults, while a third ate 40 larva? and 10 adults. 
Caterpillars amounted to nearly a third of the month's food (31.66 
per cent), occurring in all but seven of the stomachs collected, and 
frequently composing the major portion of the food. In one case a 
bird had destroyed at least 20 of these insects and in two others 16 and 
15, respectively, were eaten. Ground beetles were found in all but 2 
of the 29 stomachs and amounted to over a quarter of the food. In 
two cases over 20 of these beetles were found in the stomach. Among 
them were several of the genus Calosoma, doubtless beneficial, but 
on the other hand there were large numbers of several species of the 
genus Amara, which are injurious to vegetation. Orthoptera (grass- 
hoppers and crickets) composed 6.83 per cent, Hemiptera and scara- 
ba?id beetles about 3 per cent each, and several other insects were 
present in small quantities. The vegetable element was materially 
less than in May, being only a little over 9 per cent, and about two- 
thirds of it was grain. 
In June the meadowlark maintains about the same relation to the 
weevil as during the preceding month. There is, however, an in- 
crease in the proportion of larva? eaten. Examination of 14 stomachs 
revealed an average of 4.78 adults and 11.93 larva? per bird, which 
amounted to nearly an eighth of the food. One bird worthy of men- 
