Title: Report on the birds of Pennsylvania : with special reference to the food habits, based on over four thousand stomach examinations
Identifier: commercialpoultr11 (find matches)
Year: 1890 (1890s)
Authors: Warren, Benjamin Harry, 1858-
Subjects: Birds
Publisher: Harrisburg : E. K. Meyers, State Printer
Contributing Library: Penn State University
Digitizing Sponsor: Lyrasis Members and Sloan Foundation

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•I BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 247
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"3 Ji:> t^ q:> •~-^ 'T3 c« P ^ ,C1 t*i g •a «=5 CI ca a> •-H ^ ^ Cv^ ^" "t3 c« Qi '^ q:> Cr-t 03 ^ —-1 ;=3 « i county where this species resides in summer, many farmers protect them because they are ^reat destroyers of " potato bu<?s." A gentle- man residinof, I think, near Meadville, stated at a recent meetino- of our State Board, that he had often seen these birds in small flocks about his potato patch, eag^erly devouring larg^o numbers of these vexatious insects. Few, if any, of our birds are known to feed reg-ularly on the Colorado potato-beede, and as the Rose-breasted Grosbeak has developed a taste in this direction, it should justly rank as one of the best feathered friends of the farmer. My personal knowledg-e of the food-habits of this species is limited to examinations made in May, 1882, when these birds were, to my great surprise, exceedingly abundant in the woods through- out various parts of Chester, Lancaster, Franklin, Adams, Delaware and Pliiladelphia counties. All the birds examined by me were shot in woods, feeding mostly on hickorj and beech trees, in the neighborhood of West Chester, Penna. May 11, six males, on hickory trees, food consisted entirely of blossoms. May 12, thirteen birds, eight males, three on hickory trees, others on beech trees. All showed blossoms; two contained blossoms of the hickory, with tliose of the beech; the remainder had all fed on beech blossoms, except three birds, which had in thtnr gizzards small black seeds and some few iiat grayish seeds. May 13, eleven birds, seven males, all contained blossoms of beech, in addition to which, two males revealed remains of beetles and one of them had also eaten a few flies. May 15, eleven birds, ten males, three taken on beech and maple trees, had only fed on blossoms; the others were found, when first discovered, feeding on the ground in the woods; the stomach of one contained simply fiagments of a beetle, the rest had eaten blossoms and small seeds. May IG, three males, food exclusively blossoms. May 17, four birds, three females, chiefly blossoms and small seeds, vrith few larvtt), and fragments of beetles. May 19, two birds; male, beech blossoms; female had in her gizzard, blossoms, remains of beetles and several wasps. May 20, 23 to 27, inclusive^ eleven birds, nine females; two males taken cm the 20tli had fed chiefly on beetles and a few flat cylindrical seeds: the remaining nine sj^ecimens were shot on various dates, the last being taken on the 27th, wIk^i they were found to b(; very scarce. An examination of their viscera showcnl that in ad- dition to blossoms and small seeds, they all had fed to a small (;xtent on insects, chiefly beetles and flies. Genus GUIRACA Swainson. Guiraca ceerulea (Linn.). RIiio Grosbeak. Description. Hill lar^o and stout like other Grosbeaks; l)ill dark-hliiisli black ; lej?s and feet similar; male blue ; brightest on head and darker across middle of back; feathers about base of bill, lores, wings and tail blackish ; middle and greater wing-<.;overts COLOR PLATE

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