. Bulletin - Biological Survey. Zoology, Economic. BLACKBIEDS. 21 Among the insects taken at various times during the year, grasshop- pers, locusts, and crickets are by far the most important, since they averaged 29 percent of the food. Of the 238 stomachs examined, 178 contained grasshoppers, and 37 of these insects were found in a single stomach. In August stomachs they constituted 69 percent of the food. Beetles, which stand next in importance to grasshoppers, included chiefly May beetles (Scarabseidge), snout-beetles or weevils (Rhynco- phora), and leaf-beetles (Chrysomelidse), Caterpillar
. Bulletin - Biological Survey. Zoology, Economic. BLACKBIEDS. 21 Among the insects taken at various times during the year, grasshop- pers, locusts, and crickets are by far the most important, since they averaged 29 percent of the food. Of the 238 stomachs examined, 178 contained grasshoppers, and 37 of these insects were found in a single stomach. In August stomachs they constituted 69 percent of the food. Beetles, which stand next in importance to grasshoppers, included chiefly May beetles (Scarabseidge), snout-beetles or weevils (Rhynco- phora), and leaf-beetles (Chrysomelidse), Caterpillars formed an im- portant element of the food, and ants a small, but fairly constant, item, about 3 percent for the 3^ Fig. C—Red-winged blackbird {Agehuus phaniceus) BLACKBIRDS. In the District of Columbia red-winged, or marsh, blackbirds {Age- lams phmniceus—fig. 6) are treated as game birds and an open season for shooting them is set apart. The argument is made that on account of the damage they do to grainfields, particularly in the spring and autumn, blackbirds may be kept from becoming too abundant by treat- ing them as game. But it may well be questioned whether this would reduce their numbers as effectually as if they were excluded entirel}^ from protection in localities where they are injurious. Game birds are necessarily protected for a longer or shorter time during the breed- ing season, while species excepted from protection may be killed at any season. A full account of the food habits of the various black- birds may be found in Bulletin No. 13 of the Biological Survey,. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original United States. Bureau of Biological Survey. Washington : Govt. print. off.
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