STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 1 37 



THE HERMIT THRUSH {Turdus pa/hist. Cab.) 



The hermit thrush is strictly a migrant, reported by Mr. Ridgway 

 as a rare winter resident in Southern Illinois, but otherwise appearing 

 in the State only during its passage to and fro. Considering the fact, 

 however, that all these birds pass slowly the whole length of the State, 

 merely keeping pace with the advancing and retreating seasons, and 

 also that the species is a very abundant one in the migrating season, it 

 will be seen that it has great economical significance. There is reason 

 to suppose that these migrants, in traveling north and south, follow, year 

 after year, about the same route — do not vary, that is, far to the east or west ; 

 consequently, although we can do nothing to encourage their breeding 

 (since they nest beyond our limits), yet, occupying as we do a State that 

 lies in five-and-one-half degrees of latitude, we can do much to protect 

 the species in its wanderings, or could almost entirely exterminate that 

 part of it passing over our territory. 



Of this species we took eighteen specimens, sixteen in April and 

 two in May. I have not thought it worth while to separate these, and 

 consequently give them together. Eighty-seven per cent, of the food 

 was insects proper, four per cent, arachnida, and nine per cent, herbivo- 

 rous myriapods. More in detail, thirteen per cent, was ants, eighteen per 

 cent, lepidoptera, twelve per cent, carabid^e (including Dischirius globulosus , 

 Plaiynus, Evarthrus, Pterostichus, Amara, Anisodactylus, Bradycellus 

 dSidiStenolophus), five per cent, dung-beetles, two per cent, curculios, two 

 per cent, plant-beetles, nine per cent, (including three per cent. 

 Reduviidae), eight per cent, grasshoppers and a single lace-wing. A 

 few of the caterpillars were measuring-worms. 



The number of carabidae (twelve per cent, of the food and eaten by 

 two-thirds of the birds) is a very unfortunate feature, as this, with his 

 other depredations, compels us to reckon the account, temporarily at 

 least, so largely to the discredit of this bird as to count him a public 

 enemy. I find that all but four of these birds were shot in extreme 

 Northern Illinois, at Waukegan, Evanston and Blue Island, and that, 

 for some reason or another, probably accidental, the carabidae were 

 nearly all eaten by these northern specimens. 



THE ALICE THRUSH {^Turdus alicice, Bd.) 



The Alice thrueh is a bird of frequent occurrence during the migra- 

 tions. I have eight specimens shot in May, but none from the fall 

 migration. The prominent food characters, as indicated by these speci- 

 mens, are the presence of seven per cent, of moUusks (small snails and 

 periwinkles), an excessive number of ants (forty-two per cent, represented 

 in the food of every bird), respectable numbers of caterpillars and crane- 

 flies (thirteen and eight per cent, respectively), and the small ratio of 

 predaceous beetles, only two per cent. One individual had filled itself 

 with scavenger-beetles. All had eaten small curculios, but in trifling 

 numbers, the whole amounting to two per cent, of the food. 



