18 BIRDS THAT EAT THE COTTON BOLL WEEVIL. 



the middle of the month, however, their numbers became much 

 reduced, and by the 20th the average number seen in a day was not 

 over 15. To some extent they fed on the ground, but spent much 

 time chmbing among the cotton stalks. They were partial also to weed 

 patches. Thirteen birds, or about 15 percent of those examined, had 

 eaten weevils, only one having taken more than a single weevil at a 



meal. 



Even more abundant than the painted bunting was the lark sparrow 

 (CJiondestes grammacus strigatus), but unfortunately its ground-feed- 

 ing habits preclude the possibility of its destroying the boll weevil on 

 a large scale. Lark sparrows fairly swarmed along roadsides and in 

 the more open portions of cotton fields, but only one of those examined 

 contained a boll weevil. 



The dickcissel {Spiza americana), another of the native sparrows, 

 having habits somewhat similar to those of the lark sparrovv, was 

 found in the cotton fields in considerable numbers. Its record as a 

 weevil consumer was somewhat better than that of the lark sparrow, 

 for of the 19 birds examined 2 had eaten 1 weevil apiece. 



One of the commonest birds at Beeville was the handsome pjTrhu- 

 loxia {Pyrrhuloxia sinuata texana), a large, thick-billed sparrow or 

 oTosbeak, related to the cardinal. The favorite haunts of these birds 

 are the mesquite thickets, but they not infrequently visit the cotton 

 fields. Two of those collected had each eaten a boll weevil. 



The birds which proved to be the most important enemies of the 

 boll weevil were the Bullock oriole (Icterus hullocki) and the orchard 

 oriole (Icterus spurius), but unfortunately neither of these was very 

 abundant. The orchard oriole, as in other localities where observa- 

 tions were made, habitually fed among the cotton stalks. Seven- 

 teen individuals were collected, and of these, 8 had eaten a total 

 of 23 weevils. The largest number taken by a single bird was 7, and 

 another had taken 6. The Bullock orioles, though more numerous 

 than their smaller cousins, were seen less frequently in the cotton, 

 their favorite haunts being the mesquite thickets. Twenty-seven 

 individuals were collected in and near the cotton fields, and of these 

 27 birds 12 had eaten a total of 80 weevils. The greatest number 

 eaten by a single bird was 41, and 2 others had eaten 11 and 9, 

 respectively. These three birds, all of which were adults, were taken, 

 together with five young birds, about 9 a. m. on August 16, while 

 feeding in a cotton field. Of the five young, one had eaten two 

 weevils and another three. These records would seem to show that 

 the orioles know perfectly well where the weevils hide and seek them 

 as a chosen article of food. At this season practically all the weevils 

 are concealed beneath the enfolding bracts of the buds, or 'squares,' 

 and it is improbable that a bird could capture as many as 41 during 

 a single morning without opening the bracts in search of them. It 



