66 
THE RELATION OF 3PABKOW8 TO AdMci'i/rURE. 
The sharp-tailed and seaside sparrows have a very limited range, 
a nine Btrip on the Atlantic coast, and probably do noi conic in con- 
tad to any extent with cultivated crops. In so far as they destroy 
insect enemies <>i* salt-marsh hay they are helpful, and in so Ear as 
they destroy enemies of insects which prey upon this crop, they are 
harmful; bul otherwise they exercise Little influence on agriculture. 
The examination of 81 stomachs of both species indicates thai 2 per- 
cent of the food consists of insects which probably exerl a beneficial 
in II ne i ice on the salt -hay crop, 30 percent consists of insects which arc 
perhaps injurious to it, and L0 percent consists of spiders, concerning 
whose relation to it there is much doubt. The remaining 58 percent 
of the food is made up of approximately equal parts of insects and 
seeds of plants having Little, if any, relation to the hay crop. The 
birds do not prey on the salt-marsh caterpillars, so destructive to the 
hay, and they destroy a considerable amount of the seed of the marsh 
grasses, which is probably an injurious effect. Thus, investigation 
shows that the two species are apparent Ly of little economic importance. 
LARK SPARROW. 
(Chondestes grammaens and Chondestes g. strigatus.) 
The lark sparrow (fig. 31), also called snake bird in certain locali- 
ties on account of its striped head, is extremely abundant on the plain 
*«^9 
1 <\. 
PlQ IV Lark sparrow. 
and prairie regions of the United states, it is found in open country 
from the Pacific coast almost to the Alleghenies and from British 
Columbia and .Manitoba as far south as Mexico and Guatemala. The 
white feathers in its tail suggest t he vesper sparrow , a bird with which 
ii agrees quite closely in habits and habitat. It is strikingly marked 
