112 
The Food of Birds. 
feeding largely upon fruits, which constituted sixty per 
cent, of their food. Wild grapes, wild cherries, elderber- 
ries and blackberries were all eaten by them, grapes 
alone making more than half their food. Hymenoptera 
amounted to nineteen per cent, of the whole; ants to 
seven, caterpillars to twelve, crane-flies to four, and 
Coleoptera to eighteen per cent. ; five per cent, were 
Carabidae (including Anisodactylus), three per cent, were 
leaf-chafers and two per cent, were cureulios. One of the 
birds, taken at Warsaw in April, had eaten little else 
than Scolytus muticus. Two per cent, of the food was 
Hemiptera, chiefly Pentatomidae and Reduviidae; Rhyn- 
cliophora and Hemiptera made two and one per cent, 
respectively. Of spring-beetles and Aphodiidae, only a 
trace had been eaten by two of the birds. 
Mimus polyglottus, L. Mocking-bird. 
This famous bird, not many years ago regarded as a 
rarity in the State, is evidently becoming more abundant, 
and is also extending its habitat northward. Collector! 
in the southern part of the State agree to its increasing 
numbers there. Three specimens were seen this year in 
the vicinity of Bloomington, two of which were secured. 
One of these, shot in August, was of this year’s brood, 
and as the other two seemed thoroughly habituated, it is 
likely that they had nested in this vicinity this season. It 
may be worth wdiile to note that sixty per cent, of the 
food of these two specimens consisted of Ortlioptera, in- 
cluding the climbing cricket (CEcantlius). Besides these, 
they had eaten spiders and harvest-men, Coleoptera, 
Hemiptera and ants. Among the Coleoptera were speci- 
mens of Ontliopliagus, Epicauta vittata and long-snouted 
cureulios. The Hemiptera were undetermined Coreidae 
and Pentatomidae. These birds had not eaten fruit, al- 
though the species is reported to be especially fond of 
grapes. 
Conclusion. 
As a very general statement of the peculiarities of the 
food of the resident species, we may say that the robin is 
characterized by its destruction of caterpillars (especial- 
ly cutworms) and the larvae of Bibio, by its neglect of 
