The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1915-04-22

prepared by the United States Depart
ment Of AgricultureJ
May 10 the month when the meadow
lark docs 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) constituted "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 4 few
flies and wasps and spiders. A num-
ber of the stomachs we're collected
when the ground was covered with
snow. but even these contained q
large percentage of insects. showing
the birds skill In finding proper food
under adverse circumstances.
OF the various insects eaten. crick.
at. ~ yro osoh opporp a ro tho vnnat i'm,
portant, constituting 26 per cent OF
the food of the year and 72 per cent
Of the food In August. It is scarcely
necessary to mention the beneficial
effect of . number Of these birds on
a field Of grass in the height Of the
grasshopper season. OF the 1914
stomachs collected at all seasons Of
the year, 77s. 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 grasshoppera
reach their maximum abundance.
Next to grasshoppers. beetles make
up the most important item of the
meadow lark's food. amounting tc
25 per cent, about one-half Of which
are predaceous ground beetles. The
others are of harmful species.
Forty-two individuals Of differen,
kinds of May beetles were found in
the stomachs of meadow larks. an6
there were probably many more which
were past recognition. To this form
and several closely allied ones belong
the numerous white gruos, which are
| among the worst enemies to many
cultivated crops. notably grasses and
| grains. and to less extent strawber
fies and garden vegetables. In the
larval stage they eat the roots o.
these plants. and being large. one in
dividual may destroy several plants
In the adult stage they feed upon tht
foliage Of trees and other plants. anc
in this way add to the damage which
they began in the earlier form. A!
these enemies Of husbandry are mo-
/ EASILY uSSllOs GU Oy uoI. IL Is oUN tOus
ly wise to encourage their natura
foes.
Among the weevils found in tn.
stomachs the most important econom
ically are the cotton-boll weevil ant
the recently introduced alfalfa weevi
of Utah. Several hundred meadow
larks were taken in the cotton-grow
ing region. and the boil weevil wa:
found in Is stomachs OF the eastern
meadow lark and in Is of the western
species OF the former. one stomach
contained 81 individuals. OF 25 stom
achs of western meadow larks take.
in alfalfa fields of Utah. Is containe,
the alfalfa weevil
The vegetable food consists of grail
and weed and other hard seeds Grail
in general amounts to II per cent an,
weed and other seeds to seven pc
cent. Grain. principally corn, is cate
mostly in winter and early spring an
consists. therefore, Of waste kernels
only trife is consumed in summe
and autumn when it is most plentiful
No trace of sprouting grain was dis
covered. Glover seed was found i
only six stomachs. and but little t
each. Seeds of weeds, principally raf