478 ECONOMIC RELATIONS OF OUR BIRDS. 
9. Harporhynchus rufus (Linn.), Cab. BROWN THRUSH; SANDY 
MOCKINGBIRD; THRASHER. Group I. Class b. 
Although a common and familiar bird, the Thrasher is not as abundant as the 
last species. Its haunts, too, are similar, but it prefers to choose them in open¬ 
ing and prairie sections rather than in heavy timbered districts, where the Cat¬ 
bird exists in greater abundance. In proportion to its numbers, it also makes 
more frequent visits to the vicinity of dwellings. The Brown Thrasher is emi¬ 
nently terrestrial in its habits, and obtains much of its food beneath the fallen 
leaves and mould of its favorite haunts, and for this work the strong decurved 
beak serves its owner admirably. 
Of ten specimens examined, one had eaten two crickets; one, two grasshop¬ 
pers; five, eleven beetles — among which were two species of Harpalus; three, 
three larvse — among them caterpillars and a grub of a tiger beetle; two, two 
mollusks; five, seeds; one, wheat; and one, wild grapes. 
“Its food consists of worms, which it scratches from the ground, particularly 
a dirty-colored grub more pernicious to corn than nine-tenths of the birds, 
‘wasps’ and beetles. It is accused of scratching up corn” (Wils.). “It eats 
insects, worms, berries of all sorts, ripe pears, and figs” (And.). “Worms, 
insects and various kinds of berries ” (De Kay). Prof. Forbes has examined 
the contents of the stomachs of sixty-four of these birds, and estimates the 
beneficial, noxious and neutral elements to stand in the relation of 33 to 26 to 
41. Among the injurious insects earten were seven per cent, lepidoptera, ten 
leaf-chafers, two spring-beetles, two snout-beetles, one chinch-bugs and four 
orthoptera; while among the beneficial insects were six per cent, carabidae, two 
predaceous hemiptera, one spider and one of predaceous thousand-legs. From 
this it is seen that twenty-six per cent, of the insects eaten were injurious and 
ten per cent, beneficial, including the spiders and myriapods. Twenty-one per 
cent, of the food consisted of small fruits. 
Family SAXICOLIDJE: Stonechats and Bluebirds. 
Fig. 107. 
Eastern Bluebird {Sialia sialis). From Baird, Brewer and RIdgway. 
