THE RELATION OF BPABBOWS TO AGRICULTURE. 
the entire year, but this percentage is probably larger tnan it would 
have been had the stomachs which were examined been collected from 
more localities. Most of the birds that lia<l eaten largely of these 
seeds were obtained during the months of November, December, and 
January in southern California, and to quite an extent from newly 
sow ii alfalfa fields. 
About half of the remaining 30 percent of the food consists of rag- 
weed and polygonum nearly equally divided, while the resl is made 
1 1 1 > of a variety of weed seeds, among which those of wild sunflowers 
and purslane appear the most prominent, while wood sorrel (Oxalis), 
Lamb's-quarters, and amaranth play a minor part. 
From this investigation it appears that the lark sparrow merits a 
high place among tin' useful tenants of the farm. The weed seed 
destroyed more than twice outweighs the grain consumed, which, as 
shown, is probablynot taken in a harmful way; and beneficial insects 
do not rise to 1 percent of the food, while injurious insects amount 
to 25 percent. 
HARRIS'S SPARROW. 
(Zonotrichia <in< rula l 
Harris's sparrow occurs from Saskatchewan south to Texas, and is 
not found regularly west of Montana or east of Illinois. It rivals the 
fox sparrow in si/e. and is of most striking appearance in its summer 
dress, witli its flossy black crown and throat. Large reddish beak, and 
bright coat of the usual sparrow mixture of colors. In winter the 
black is lost from the plumage and the bird resembles a Long-tailed 
immature male English sparrow. 
In habits Harris's sparrow is most like its two congeners, the white- 
throated and white-crowned sparrows. Nehrling speaks of observing 
it in Texas during November mixed in with flocks of thousands of 
juncos, white-crowned, and field sparrows. In these Hocks there were 
seldom more than six to twelve Harris's sparrows. He caughl several 
and kepi them in confinement. They became tame and relished 
grasshoppers, moths, beetles, millet, katir corn, and canary seed. 
One hundred stomachs have been examined, which were collected 
principally in Saskatchewan, Kansas, and Texas, from < October to May, 
inclusive. As is the case with many of the birds that breed for the 
most part to the north and merely winter with us, the stomach con- 
tents are chiefly vegetable in character, the animal matter amounting 
to but 8 percent. This s percent comprises about the same kinds of 
insects, spiders, and snails that enter into the fare of other sparrows, 
but the quantity of Leaf-hoppers is unusually Large (2 percent of the 
food), a taste which this sparrow shares with the sharp-tailed sparrow 
and Thurber'8 junco. of the vegetable food. 25 percent is made up 
of the seeds Of Wild fruits and various miscellaneous plants of uncer- 
tain economic position; L0 percent of grain, which includes rather 
