. Bulletin - Biological Survey. Zoology, Economic. WEEDS EATEN BY CAKDINAL. 11 is noteworthy that the cardinal appears to be the only one of the grosbeaks which uses its massive beak for the purpose for which it seems especially designed, namely, the cracking and grinding of hard seeds. The samaras of maple were found in a few stomachs, and in Florida Mr. C. J. Maynard a observed more than 20 cardinals feeding on the seeds of a single maple. The somewhat similar winged seeds of the tulip tree also serve as food, and, according to the experience of the writer, are a favorite winter diet of the
. Bulletin - Biological Survey. Zoology, Economic. WEEDS EATEN BY CAKDINAL. 11 is noteworthy that the cardinal appears to be the only one of the grosbeaks which uses its massive beak for the purpose for which it seems especially designed, namely, the cracking and grinding of hard seeds. The samaras of maple were found in a few stomachs, and in Florida Mr. C. J. Maynard a observed more than 20 cardinals feeding on the seeds of a single maple. The somewhat similar winged seeds of the tulip tree also serve as food, and, according to the experience of the writer, are a favorite winter diet of the redbird around Wash- ington. Galls were eaten by 4 birds, and buds, which often have been stated to be especially sought after by grosbeaks, by only 2. The seeds of bindweeds, grasses, sedges, etc., form percent of the entire food—more than half of the vegetable diet of the species. They were eaten by 361 of the birds examined, and range from 6 to 49 percent of the fare in different months, the greatest quantity being consumed in winter. The seeds of the various smart weeds (fig. 1) and bindweeds (fig. 21) are of most impor- tance, .having been ^consumed by 81 cardinals and constituting percent of the annual food. Six species were identified, and it is fig. i.—seeds of smart- probable that the seeds of all members of this p^oSTr^From large genus are eaten indiscriminately. They Hiiiman, Nevada Ex- are among the commonest and worst weeds of periment station) both dooryards and cultivated fields. Besides being notorious crop chokers and seed adulterants, smartweeds are the main support of the disastrous corn-root aphids before the latter are transferred to the corn bv their ant guardians. Hence the cardinal's habit of devouring smartweed seeds is beneficial, not only in abating direct injury by these pernicious weeds but also in tending to diminish the number of aphids by destroying their most important host plants. The seeds of foxtail grasses (figs. IT and 37) ar
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