178 MOSQUITOES OF NOETH AMERICA 



hawks flying rather low at about the level of the tops of the somewhat low trees 

 fringing the coast at this point, or, in other words, at a height of 25 or 30 feet. 



" Two of these were taken and on preparing the skins were found to be exceed- 

 ingly fat while the stomachs were distended with mosquitoes, apparently a small 

 species of Culex and resembling the species that was most abundant in the 

 locality. 



" The stomachs of a few warblers taken at the time were also full of mos- 

 quitoes. Unfortunately I made no note of stomach contents of other specimens 

 of the species taken at other times and points in the island." 



The whip-poor-will (Antrostomus vociferus) has also been mentioned as a 

 mosquito destroyer but the food of this goatsucker is known to consist largely 

 of nocturnal moths. 



In an interesting letter from Doctor John B, Fort, of Athens, Georgia, dated 

 February 4, 1909, the statement is made that in his opinion the most useful bird 

 in the destruction of the mosquito is the chimney-swallow or American swift 

 (Choetura pelagica). He states that he once examined the stomach of a newly 

 killed bird of tliis species, and estimated more than 600 insects of the order 

 Diptera in its stomach. They were nearly all mosquitoes. Doctor C. Hart 

 Merriam also gives this bird first place in the list of mosquito destroyers. It 

 should be noted that this bird is crepuscular in habits. 



The true swallows (Hirundiuidse) are often mentioned as mosquito de- 

 stroyers. It is obvious that this must be so where mosquitoes are present when 

 one considers their habit of feeding upon the wing and being most active in 

 quest of food towards evening. Florence A. Merriam, in " Birds of Village and 

 Field," states that the eaves- or cliff-swallow (Petrochelidon lunifrons) " eats 

 enormous quantities of winged ants, mosquitoes, injurious wheat midgets, 

 spotted squash beetles, and beetles that work under the bark of trees." Forbush 

 enumerates mosquitoes as part of the food of the white-bellied swallow (Iri- 

 doprocne hicolor) and the barn swallow (Hirundo erytliro g astro) . W. L. Mc- 

 Afee gives the purple martin (Progne suhis), bank swallow {Eiparia riparia) 

 and northern violet-green swallow {Tachycineta thalassina lepida) as mosquito 

 feeders. 



The tyrant flycatchers (Tyrannidse) feed mostly upon insects which they 

 capture upon the wing, watching for them from some prominent perch. Mos- 

 quitoes also make up part of the food of the birds of this family. Forbush 

 specifies mosquitoes as part of the food of the wood pewee (Myiochanes virens), 

 phoebe (Sayornis plicehe) and kingbird {Tyrannus tyrannus) . 



Aside from the work of birds against adult mosquitoes, it is certain that 

 aquatic birds must destroy many larvse and eggs. Mr. Wm. Beutenmiiller, in 

 the essay previously cited, is of opinion that aquatic birds could be used for the 

 purpose of destroying mosquito larvse, in rain-pools, ponds, and other waters 

 near houses ; also in ponds in well-cleared fields and cultivated land where there 

 is no extent of woods. He thinks that the management of aquatic birds under 

 such conditions can be made simple, and their breeding profitable. Some years 

 ago, Mr. Wilton Lockwood, of Boston, an artist, who had at that time, and per- 

 haps still has, a fad for raising aquatic fowls, told one of us that in his opinion 

 they are great destroyers of mosquito larvse. He was particularly impressed by the 



