OUR LARGEST STANDING ARMY: THE BIRDS. 
327 
worms a day, or 90,000 for the 
month, during which the caterpillar 
is exposed. 
A specimen each of the cliff swal- 
low, American goldfinch, and yel- 
low-winged sparrow had eaten no 
canker worms. About one third of 
the food of eight chipping sparrows 
consisted of caterpillars, half of them 
being canker worms. Three field 
sparrows had eaten largely of can- 
ker worms and various beetles. 
Forty- three per cent, of the food of 
fourteen black-throated buntings con- 
sisted of canker worms, and a very 
few of these worms had been eaten 
by two rose-breasted grosbeaks. 
They also formed 59 per cent, of the 
food of eighteen indigo birds. 
No canker worms occurred in the 
stomach of a single cow bird and two 
red-winged blackbirds. Three Balti- 
more orioles, however, had eaten 40 
per cent, of these worms and 50 per 
cent, of vine chafers. Two orchard 
orioles made even a better showing. 
“More than three fourths of the 
food of these consisted of canker 
worms and other caterpillars made 
an additional 20 per 
cent.” Three bronzed 
grakles had eaten no 
caterpillars. 
Passing now to the 
family of flycatchers 
w e fi n d that more 
than one fourth of the 
food of three king- 
birds consisted of can- 
ker worms and fully 
one half of vine chaf- 
ers. The food of three 
wood pewees consisted 
entirely of flying in- 
sects. Two specimens 
of Traill’s flycatcher 
had eaten 25 per cent, of canker 
worms, and a single yellow-bellied 
flycatcher had eaten an equal per- 
centage of vine chafers, but no can- 
ker worms. A single black-billed 
cuckoo had eaten canker worms, 75 
per cent., other caterpillars 20 per 
cent., and vine chafers 5 per cent. 
Four red-headed woodpeckers had 
eaten 15 per cent, of canker worms, 
while a single golden-winged wood- 
pecker had eaten only ants. No 
canker worms were found in one 
mourning dove and two quails. 
Summarizing the above results into 
one general statement it is found that 
14 1 specimens belonging to 36 species 
were studied. “Twenty-six of these 
species had been eating canker worms, 
which were found in the stomachs of 
85 specimens. That is to say, 72 per 
cent, of the species and 60 per cent, 
of the specimens had eaten the worms. 
Taking the entire assemblage of 14 1 
birds as one group, we find that 35 
per cent, of their food consisted of 
canker worms.” 
A comparison was made in the case 
of the robin, catbird, black-throated 
The Blackburnian Warbie 
