The gray-cheeked thrush (H. a. aliciæ) is found in migration over all the Eastern States, but breeds farther north, beyond our limits. Bicknell's thrush (H. a. bicknelli), a closely related form, while having somewhat the same general range, breeds farther south and nests in the mountains of northern New York and New England. Both subspecies have the same general habits as other forms of the genus so far as haunts and choice of residence are concerned, but their far-northern range excludes them from coming into contact with cultivated crops. The species does not seem to be very abundant anywhere, and consequently only a few stomachs have been received for examination. In all they number but 111 and are very irregularly distributed in time. None were taken in August and only one in July and two in June. From so scanty and unevenly distributed material it is impossible to draw final conclusions, but we can get some idea as to the nature of the bird's food and its economic importance.
The first analysis of the food gives 74.86 per cent of animal matter to 25.14 per cent of vegetable. This is the most animal food found in the stomachs of any bird of the genus Hylocichla and the largest but two of any of the thrushes.
Animal food.—Beetles collectively amount to about one-third of all the food (33.32 per cent). Of these, 2.83 per cent are the useful Carabidæ. The rest belong to harmful families, such as the Scarabæidæ, Elateridæ, and the weevils, or snout beetles. Ants amount to 16.34 per cent and are eaten very regularly—the most in the early part of the season. Hymenoptera other than ants, as wasps and bees, were eaten to the extent of 5.60 per cent, and with the ants make 21.94 per cent, placing this food next in rank to beetles. As in the case of ants, most of the bees and wasps were eaten in the first three months of the season. No honey bees were found. Lepidoptera (caterpillars) were third in order of abundance (8.81 per cent). No special pest was discovered, but all caterpillars may be considered as harmful. A few grasshoppers were found in the stomachs taken in April and May, and more in those collected in September and October. They do not appear to be a favorite food and amount to only 1.72 per cent. Other insects, as flies, bugs, and a few others, collectively amount to 2.89 per cent. Among these, it is of interest to note in one stomach the remains of the famous seventeen-year locust (Tibicen septemdecem), rather large game for so small a bird. Spiders are freely eaten by the gray-cheeked thrush in spring, and sparingly in fall. For the season they constitute 5.77 per cent of the food. A few other animals, as crawfish, sowbugs, and angleworms (0.41 per cent), complete the animal food.
Following is a list of the insects identified and the number of stomachs in which found:
Vegetable food.—A few Rubus seeds were recorded as cultivated fruit, but they were found in only two stomachs and probably were wild, as the gray-cheeked thrush does not live where it is likely to come in contact with cultivated blackberries or raspberries. In any case they amount to only 0.15 per cent. Wild fruits of 18 different species (23.98 per cent) make up nearly one-fourth of the whole food—in fact, the vegetable food, other than wild fruit, is insignificant. Wild berries supplement the regular food, which consists of insects and spiders.
The following list shows the fruits and seeds identified and the number of stomachs in which found:
| False spikenard (Smilacina racemosa)1 Greenbrier berries (Smilax sp.)2 Bayberries (Myrica carolinensis)1 Poke berries (Phytolacca decandra)2 Crab apples (Pyrus sp.)1 Wild black cherries (Prunus serotina)5 Blackberries or raspberries (Rubus sp.)2 Sumac berries (Rhus sp.)1 Black-alder berries (Ilex verticillata)1 Wild grapes (Vitis sp.)5 Wild sarsaparilla (Aralia sp.)1 | Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida)5 Rough-leaved dogwood (Cornus asperifolia)2 White cornel (Cornus candidissima)1 Dogwood (Cornus sp.)1 Sour gum (Nyssa sylvatica)2 Black nightshade (Solanum nigrum)1 Dockmackie (Viburnum acerifolium)1 Arrowwood (Viburnum sp.)1 Elderberries (Sambucus canadensis)3 Fruit not further identified6 |
| False spikenard (Smilacina racemosa) | 1 |
| Greenbrier berries (Smilax sp.) | 2 |
| Bayberries (Myrica carolinensis) | 1 |
| Poke berries (Phytolacca decandra) | 2 |
| Crab apples (Pyrus sp.) | 1 |
| Wild black cherries (Prunus serotina) | 5 |
| Blackberries or raspberries (Rubus sp.) | 2 |
| Sumac berries (Rhus sp.) | 1 |
| Black-alder berries (Ilex verticillata) | 1 |
| Wild grapes (Vitis sp.) | 5 |
| Wild sarsaparilla (Aralia sp.) | 1 |
| Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) | 5 |
| Rough-leaved dogwood (Cornus asperifolia) | 2 |
| White cornel (Cornus candidissima) | 1 |
| Dogwood (Cornus sp.) | 1 |
| Sour gum (Nyssa sylvatica) | 2 |
| Black nightshade (Solanum nigrum) | 1 |
| Dockmackie (Viburnum acerifolium) | 1 |
| Arrowwood (Viburnum sp.) | 1 |
| Elderberries (Sambucus canadensis) | 3 |
| Fruit not further identified | 6 |
Summary.—In the food of the gray-cheeked thrush the only useful element is a small percentage (2.83) of useful beetles. The remainder of the animal food is composed of either harmful or neutral elements. The vegetable food, drawn entirely from nature's great storehouse, contains no product of human industry, either of grain or fruit. Whatever the sentimental reasons for protecting this bird, the economic ones are equally valid.