THE FOOD OF THE ROBIN. 127 
The general summary of these examinations in accordance with 
principles already explained gives: 
Vegetable, % per cent. in four stomachs. 
Myriapoda, ¢5 per cent. in one stomach. 
Arachnida, 1 per cent. in six stomachs, 
Vermes, 14 per cent. in twelve stomachs. : 
Insecta, 97% per cent. in sixty stomachs, 
Beneficial, 25 per cent. 
Injurious, 17 per cent. 
Neutral, 58 per cent. 
May.—The stomachs of the eighteen robins shot during this month 
show the proportion of insect food to be almost exactly the same as for 
April. The percentage of Carabidz is slightly less, and that of Scarabeidz 
more than three times greater than during April. There is a doubling in 
the ratio of Coleoptera, a great increase in Heteroptera, but a decided falling 
away in Lepidoptera noticeable in the food for May as compared with that 
of the previous month. 
The general summary for May is: 
Vegetable food, none. 
Mollusca, none. 
Vermes, 3 per cent. in five stomachs. 
Insecta. 97 per cent. in eighteen stomachs, 
Beneficial species, 43.8 per cent. 
Injurious species, 37.3 per cent. 
Neutral species, 18.9 per cent. 
Jun’.—One noticeable feature of this month is the great increase of 
vegetable food. Of the 49 stomachs examined, 44 contained fruit amounting 
to 54 per cent. of the entire food. Insects fall away from 97 per cent. to 
43.06 per cent., found in 46 stomachs. But while the Coleoptera are re- 
duced to one-third of the ratio for May and the Scarabxide are greatly 
diminished, the Carabide maintain nearly the same proportion. 
The greater part of the 49 robins were shot in the Station gardens, 
where there was ample opportunity for them to secure the small fruits, 
berries and cherries, which form so large a part of the food. But since 
quite a number were killed far from any gardens, the results obtained do 
not, I believe, unfairly represent the robin’s diet. Furthermore, it is in- 
teresting and important to know how his diet varies during the different 
seasons for the same locality. The considerable number, 2.94 per cent., 
of mollusks—small snails—is worthy of mention. These were found in 
the stomachs of five robins. The perceatage of Lepidopterous larve is 
also rather large, including cut-worms, two walnut caterpillars (Datana 
