. Bulletin - Biological Survey. Zoology, Economic. 92 THE EELATION OF SPAER0W3 TO AGEICULTUKE. About 2 percent of the food consists of such invertebrates as spiders and some few snails. The spiders belong to such terrestrial forms as the Lj^cosidse and other ground-runners. There is, however, one notable exception in the case of a brood of nestlings. These were fed on a nonterrestrial spider {Argiope), a large, venomous-looking (though harmless) object as it rests in its web, resplendent with glossy black and brilliant yellow. Its gaudy color is supposed to be a protective device against birds
. Bulletin - Biological Survey. Zoology, Economic. 92 THE EELATION OF SPAER0W3 TO AGEICULTUKE. About 2 percent of the food consists of such invertebrates as spiders and some few snails. The spiders belong to such terrestrial forms as the Lj^cosidse and other ground-runners. There is, however, one notable exception in the case of a brood of nestlings. These were fed on a nonterrestrial spider {Argiope), a large, venomous-looking (though harmless) object as it rests in its web, resplendent with glossy black and brilliant yellow. Its gaudy color is supposed to be a protective device against birds. From the limited investigations thus far made, the dickcissel, like the lark sparrow, vesper sparrow, and grasshopper sjDarrow, proves to be a most useful insect destroj-er, whose services to the farmer are important. It will be found especially helpful in keeping down grass- hoppers, which always threaten to become over abundant and cause great destruction among the crops. ENGLISH SPARROW. (Passer domesticus.) The English si^arrow, or, more properly speaking, the house spar- row of Europe and Asia (see fig. 10), was introduced into the United States about 1850 and has increased and spread until now it is one of the most abundant birds east of the Mississippi River. It does not, how- ever, occur in the lower part of Flor- ida and certain parts (^f Mississippi and Louisiana, nor in some portions of Maine; Minnesota, and North Dakota. West of the Missis- sippi River its range T^ n^ «T,i, forms a tongue-like Fig. 19.—English sparrow. * area extending to the base of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, and includes Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Indian Territory, and parts of South Dakota, Texas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska. It is also found in isolated localities west of the Rocky Mountains, principally about Great Salt Lake, San Francisco Bay, near Portland, Oi-eg., and on Puget Sound, AVashing- ton. In Canada it is established to a greater or lesser degree iu all the eastern provin
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