Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1897-06-17
WHAT THE BIRDS EAT
Bulletin on the Relation Of Comm,
Birds to Agriculture.

The United States departmsr.
agriculture has just sent out a huus
tin on common birds in their rela,ia,
TO agriculture, the bulletin being the "a
suits OF a long-continued series n, ov
periments by the biological survey on
the stomachs Of birds to ascertain uror
what they feed. Thousands of hira,,
stomachs have been examined In N,
laboratory and all the available dat.
respecting the food brought together
An idea of the amount of labor IN.
VOWED may be estimated by the far,
that in the single group OF birds n,
prey published in 1893 the stomaehs q,
over 5000 birds of this class were sr.
amined. The present bulletin contains
brlef abstracts of the results of tha
studies on about 80 grain and insect.
eating birds belonging to 10 diraror,
families.
VI the two species of cuckoos. the
yellow-billed and the black-billed tba
latter of which is much the more com.
mon about this city, little difference
is shown as to their diet. These birds
are much given to eating caterpillars
and unlike most birds do not refuse
those covered with hair. An examina.
ton of the stomachs of 16 black-billed
cuckoos taken during the summer
months showed the remains Of 200
caterplllars, IL beetles, Is grasshop-
rers, 63 sawflies, three stink-bugs and
four spider, most OF the caterpillar.
being hairy.
Inc rose breasted grosbeak was
found to have honestly come by the
reputation of eating the Colorado or
potato beetle more freely than auy
other bird, 1t is rather rare in New
England, and is more common farther
west Unfortunately for this bird the
male wears plumage of great beauty
that is much priced for women's hats
III consequence of which it is marvel.
Gus that any are left at all. In few
instances Is the folly of this method
OF ornamentation shown more plainly:
lor experiments prove that wherever
these birds exist in any number the
pest OF the Colorado beetle has ahated
/ nc cedar bird eats more vegetable
than animal food, but has this good
point that it often feeds upon the elm
beetle. The hnls wren. once common
ABOUT here, has during the last few
years become rare and only a few nest
about here. They are very useful
clrd' the analysis of their stomachs
showing that 9S per cent. of their food
Is insects or their allies.
OF the birds that do harm IN vege-
tables and fruits are mentioned the
/ Dobolink, which is estimated to have
destroyed S2,000,0OO worth of rice IN
the south in a season. where IL passes
under the name of the rice bird, he
crow, blackbird or grackle, which is
Voracious eater of grain. and the
CROW, whose character in pulling UP
corn and eating grain is confirmed by
the Investigations. In the cases Of
the latter two, however. the grackle is
a hearty feeder upon grubs and other
insects, and the crow also destroys
many harmful insects The kingbirdr
the blue jay, the robin and the blue
pird are among others that are pro-
nounced on the whole to be beneficial
IN that they eat more than enough
foXious insects to pay for what little
damage they do to crops or fruits.
investigation shows that the kingbri
eats but comparatively few bees, and
most of them drones.