. [Collected reprints, 1895-1916. Birds. 16 FAEMEBS' BULLETIN 755. and its preference for shrubbery further adapts it to living about dooryards and gardens. The nest, though usually placed low, is well concealed, and the eggs number three to five. Few complaints have been lodged against the painted bunting on the score of its food habits. It is said to eat rice at times, to peck into figs and grapes, and to bite off the tips of pecan shoots. In no case that has come to notice, however, has it been charged with doing serious damage. Certainly no such charge is supported by the investigations of
. [Collected reprints, 1895-1916. Birds. 16 FAEMEBS' BULLETIN 755. and its preference for shrubbery further adapts it to living about dooryards and gardens. The nest, though usually placed low, is well concealed, and the eggs number three to five. Few complaints have been lodged against the painted bunting on the score of its food habits. It is said to eat rice at times, to peck into figs and grapes, and to bite off the tips of pecan shoots. In no case that has come to notice, however, has it been charged with doing serious damage. Certainly no such charge is supported by the investigations of the Biological Survey, for no product of husbandry has thus far been found in any of the stomachs, 80 of which have been examined, all collected in Texas in July, August, and September. Averages for the July and August material only are here presented. Animal matter composed per cent of the contents of these stomachs, and vege- table matter per cent. Of the former, per cent was made up of weevils, mostly cotton boll weevils. All insects of this group are destructive, but none more so than the no- torious cotton boll weevil, and this species had been eaten by 18 ot the 80 non- pareils examined. Another enemy of the cotton crop attacked by these brightly colored little birds is the cotton worm. This insect was preyed upon to the extent of per cent of the total food of the 80 painted buntings examined. Other insects eaten include grasshoppers, crickets, click beetles, leaf beetles, caterpillars, true bugs, and small hymen- opterans. A few spiders and one snail also wore taken. The vegetable food is re- markable in consisting very largely of a single item— the seeds of foxtail or pigeon grass. This is one of the worst weeds in the United States. The 80 painted buntings made over two-thirds (precisely per cent) of their total food of its seeds. The seeds of other grasses composed per cent of the food, gi'asses alone thus furnishing over nine-tenth
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Keywords: ., bookauthorb, bookcentury1900, bookpublisherslsn, booksubjectbirds
