GENERAL I-'ihid HAIUTS. 
9 
are 
upon the examination of 59 stomachs. A much larger amount of 
materia] is available for the present paper, no fewer than 1,154 
stomachs having been examined. The present material represents also 
a much greater area, coming From no fewer than twenty-five States 
and Territories, and in addition the District of Columbia, Ontario 
Saskatchewan, and Mackenzie. Among the specimens collected 
nestling, adolescent, and adult birds, including representatives of 
eleven subspecies. 
The food habits of the several forms are very similar with the excep- 
tion of the central and southern California bird (Otocoris alpestris 
actia Oberh. ). which is so anomalous in its feeding habits that it has 
been deemed advisable to treat it also separately. 
Professor Harrows found that the horned larks examined by him 
had consumed during the year L1.42 percent of animal matter and 
88.58 percent of vegetabh 
matter. The present in- 
vestigation results in a 
somewhat different show- 
ing for the birds, there be- 
ing in the food more insects 
and less vegetable ele- 
ments, or 20.6 percent of 
animal and 7l».4 percent of 
vegetable matter. 
From the accompanying 
chart (fig. 1) the propor- 
tions of the components of 
the food for each month 
may he seen at a glance. 
Very little animal matter 
is obtained during the win- 
ter months. The few in- 
sects alive at this season 
arc usually well concealed 
and the wonder is that the birds obtain any of them. In January, 
animal matter, consisting principally of weevils and cocoons of tineid 
moths, composes only L.73 percent of the food. In February about 
the same things are eaten, but in larger amount, making 3.11 per- 
cent. The percentage rises rapidly in March and April, principally 
because of an increase in the number of weevils, caterpillars, and bugs 
eaten, although beetle larvae and leaf beetles also are consumed in 
larger amount. In these months the horned larks obtain respectively 
15.72 percent and 27.31 percent of animal matte]-. April is the first 
month when the amount of animal 
7o7t)— No. 23—05 2 
too 
JAN. 
MAR 
APR 
MAY 
JUNE 
JULY 
AUG 
SfPT 
OCT 
NOV 
DCC 
80 
60 
so 
20 
V 
\ 
\ 

Pig. 1.— Diagram showing the proportions of animal and 
vegetable food of the horned larks of the United states. 
exclusive of the members of the subspecies OtocorUa. actia, 
for every month in the year. [Read the column of figures 
on the left from the bottom upward for the percentage ol 
animal Food, and the column mi the right from the top 
downward for the percentage of vegetable food. The area 
below the curve represents the total amount of animal 
food for the year, and thai above, the vegetable food.) 
matter eaten is in excess of the 
