The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-11

clcs in North America, but their differences
both in plumage and habits are in most
cases too obscure to be readily recognized,
and not more than half dozen forms are
generally known in any one locality. All
the species are more or less migratory, but
so widely are they distributed that there is
probably no part of the country where some
cannot be found throughout the year. While
sparrows are noted seed-eaters. they do not
by any means confine themselves to a veg
etable diet. During the summer and espe-
cially during the breeding season they eat
many insects and probably feed their young
largely upon the same food. An examina-
ton of the stomachs of three species-the
song sparrow, chipping sparrow and field
sparrow-shows about One-third of the food
consists of insects, comprising many inju-
rious beetles, such as snout-beetles or Wee
wills and leaf beetles. Many grasshoppers
are eaten. and in the case of the chirping
sparrow these insects form one-eighth of the
food. Their vegetable food is limited almost
exclusively to hard seeds. This might seem
to indicate that the birds feed to some extent
upon grain; but the stomachs examined
show only the one kind-oats-and but little
of that. The great bulk of the food is made
almost the entire diet during the winter, and
the amount consumed is immense.
SEVEN KINDS OF SWALLOWS
/ There are seven common species of
swallows within the limits of the United
| States, four of which have to some extent
abandoned their primitive nesting habits
and attached themselves to the abodes of
man. AS a group. swallows are sregarious
4
! species build nests in large colonies, occa-
| sionaly numbering thousands: in the case
of others only two or three pairs are found
| together, while still others nest habitually
in single pairs. Their habits are too IA
miliar to require any extended description.
| Their industry and tirelessness are wonder
| full, and during the day it is rare to see
| swallows at rest except Just before their
| departure for the South, when they assem-
| bile upon telegraph wires or upon the roofs
| OF buildings, apparently making plans for
| the journey.
The catbrd always attracts attention,
| and the intruder upon its haunts soon un-
! derstands that he is not welcome. There
is no mistaking the meaning of the sneering
| voice with which he is saluted, and there
| is little doubt that this gave rise to the
popular prejudice against the bird, but the
/ feeling has been increased by the fact that
| the species is sometimes a serious annoy
ance 10 fruit growers. All such reports,
| however, seem 20 come from the prairie
| country of the West. In New England the
| catoird is seldom seen about gardens or
orchards, the reason may possibly be
! found in the fact that on the prairies fruit
bearing shrubs which form so large part
of this birds food are conspicuousy absent
| The diminutive house wren frequents
barns and gardens and particularly old or
| chards.. He is a pugnacious character and
| if he happens to fancy one of the boxes
| that have been put up for the bluebird he
| does not hesitate to take it, He is usually
/ not slow to avail himself of boxes. gourds
| or empty jars placed for his accommoda-
ton AS regards food habits the house
wren is entirely beneficial. Practically he
! can be said to live on animal food alone.
The robin builds it's nest in orchards and
| gardens. Its food habits have sometimes
caused apprehension to fruit growers, for
| it is fond OF cherries and other small fruits.
! An examination OF stomachs shows that
| over 4 per cent. of its food is animal mat
| ter, principally insects. while the remainder
| is made up largely of small fruits and ber-
! ries. So far as known the bluebird has not
been accused of stealing fruit or preyng
| upon any crops. X is evident that in the
selection of it's food the blrebird is gov
erned more by abundance than by choice.
j. ii. WILSON,
! Secretary of Agriculture