The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1915-04-21

prepared by the United States Depart
ment Of Agriculture)
May is the month when the meadow
lark does some of its best work in
aiding the farmer, for that is when
the cutworms begin their career, and
this little bird devours them by thou
sands. 1t also eats many caterpillars,
and in the same month these crea-
lures form over "a per cent of its
whole diet. Caterpillars which are
ground feeders are often overlooked
by birds which habitually frequent
trees, but they do not escape the
meadow lark. Ants, wasps, spiders,
and chinch bugs are other harmful
pests eaten by this feathered friend
of humanity.
In 1874 stomachs of the meadow
lark examined, animal food (practi-
cally all insects) constituked "a per
cent of the contents and vegetable
matter 26 per cent. As would natu-
rally be supposed, the insects were
ground species, as beetles, bugs, grass
hoppers and caterpillars, with few
flies and wasps and spiders. A num-
Der Of the stomachs we're collected
when the ground was covered with
snow, but even these contained a
large percentage of insects, showing
the birds skill in finding proper food
under adverse circumstances.
OF the various insects eaten, crick-
cts and grasshoppers are the most i'm
portant, constituting 26 per cent Of
the food of the year and ~ per cent
of the food in August. 1t is scarcely
necessary to mention the beneficial
effect of a number of these birds on
a field of grass in the height of the
grasshopper season. OF the 1,514
stomachs collected at all seasons of
the year, IT'S, or more than half, con-
tanned remains of grasshoppers, and
one was filled with fragments of 81
of these insects. This seems to show
conclusively that grasshoppers are
preferred, and are eaten whenever
they can be found. Especially nota-
BILE is the great number taken in Au-
gust, the month when grasshoppers
reach their maximum abundance.
Next to grasshoppers, beetles make
up the most important item Of the
meadow lark's food. amounting to
rs per cent, about one-half of which
are predaceous ground beetles. The
others are of harmful species.
Forty-two individuals of different
kinds of May beetles we're found in
the stomachs of meadow larks, and
there were probably many more which
were past recognition. To this form
and several closely allied ones belong
the numerous white grubs. which are
among the worst enemies to many
cultivated crops, notably grasses and
grains, and to less extent strawber-
ries and garden vegetables. In the
larval stage they eat the roots of
these plants, and being large, one in
dividual may destroy several plants.
In the adult stage they feed upon the
foliage Of trees and other plants, and
in this way add to the damage which
they began in the earlier form. AS
these enemies of husbandry are not
easily destroyed by man. 1t is obvious
ly wise to encourage their natural
foes.
Among the weevils found in the
stomachs the most important econom-
ically are the cotton-boll weevil and
the recently introduced alfalfa weevil
of Utah. Several hundred meadow
larks were taken In the cotton-grow-
ing region, and the boil weevil was
found in rs stomachs of the eastern
meadow lark and in 15 of the western
species. OF the former. one stomach
contained 81 individuals. OF 25 stom-
achs of western meadow larks taken
in alfalfa fields of Utah. 10 contained
the alfalfa weevil
The vegetable food consists OF grain
and weed and other hard seeds Grain
in general amounts to IL per cent and
weed and other seeds to seven per
cent. Grain, principally corn, is eaten
mostly In winter and early spring and
consists. therefore. of waste kernels:
only trihe is consumed in summer
and autumn when 1t Is most plentiful.
No trace of sprouting grain was dis
covered. Glover seed was found In
only six stomachs. and but little In
each. Seeds OF weeds, principally rag