notes on the food of birds 
39 
the distribution of various plants, some of which may be 
troublesome to agriculture. 
Mr. F. E. L. Beal says: “The value of our native spar¬ 
rows as weed destroyers is not appreciated. Weed seed 
forms an important item of the winter food of many of these 
birds, and it is impossible to estimate the immense numbers 
of noxious weeds which are thus annually destroyed.” 
Mr. Birtwell has observed the following birds at Albu¬ 
querque eating the seeds of sunflowers: 
Arkansas Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria ). 
Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus). 
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelams phceniceus ). 
Audubon's Warbler (Dendroica auduboni ). 
House Finch (Carpodacus ). 
The following birds have been seen by Mr. Birtwell to 
glean weed seed of various harmful kinds from fields in fall 
and winter: 
Meadow Lark (Sturnella). 
Red-winged Blackbird ( Agelaius phceniceus). 
Yellow-beaded Blackbird (Xanthocephalusxanthocephalus ). 
Intermediate Sparrow [Zonotrichia leucophrys intermedia ). 
Desert Song Sparrow (Melospiza fasciata fallax ) . 
Oregon Junco (Junco hyemalis oregonus). 
Gray-headed Junco (Junco cciniceps ). 
Pink-sided Junco (Junco annectens). 
Red-backed Junco (Junco phceonotus dorsalis). 
And “in fact, the majority of our small wintering spe¬ 
cies. *’ 
Useful birds at Santa Fe 
Mr. Arthur Boyle writes as follows: — “I have noticed all 
the birds that visit the garden busy chasing and eating grass¬ 
hoppers at all times, particularly the young wingless hoppers; 
even the little wild canary, that is also so very fond of the 
fruit buds, will attack, kill and gobble some of a grasshopper 
nearly as bigas itself if it is young and tender. One of the 
best friends of the fruit groover is the Rocky Mountain jay, 
the big dark blue jay with the black head and crest. They 
