OBSERVATIONS IN 1905. 17 



wood pewee, orchard oriole, lark sparrow, cardinal, painted bunting, 

 purple martin, and mockingbird. The orchard oriole and the painted 

 bunting were the most numerous and were the only ones seen feed- 

 ing among the cotton plants. Of the stomachs examined from this 

 locality only about 5 percent contained boll weevil remains. Four 

 of the 18 orchard orioles examined had eaten a total of 6 boll weevils, 

 and 2 of the 20 painted buntings examined had eaten 1 weevil 

 each. 



Cameron, July 24-26. — Cotton was in the same flourishing condition 

 here as at Cuero and Gurley. 



Weevils were by this time quite numerous. Twenty-five hills of 

 tall cotton in a bottom-land field were searched and 9 adult weevils 

 found, most of them crawling on the upper part of the stalks. Over 

 50 percent of the squares in this field were infested. 



Birds were rather scarce, the only species which were at all numer- 

 ous in the cotton fields being the orchard oriole, lark sparrow, scissor- 

 tailed flycatcher, and quail. Of the 9 orchard orioles taken, 4 had 

 eaten a total of 7 weevils. One painted bunting and 1 least flycatcher 

 were taken, each of which had eaten a boll weevil. 



Columbus, July 28-29. — Cotton was well advanced here, as at 

 localities previously visited, but many of the fields had been attacked 

 by the cotton leaf-worm, which proved to be very attractive food for 

 the birds. Weevils were very scarce, some fields being very slightly 

 infested, others containing from 5 to 10 percent of infested squares. 

 Birds also were rather scarce, the only species seen in any numbers 

 being the orchard oriole. Of 8 orioles examined, 2 were found to 

 have eaten 1 weevil each. 



Beeville, August 3-22. — During this period cotton picking was in 

 full progress, and although in some fields the dry weather was 

 beginning to retard the formation of new buds, many blossoms were 

 opening every day. 



Weevils were abundant and quite evenly distributed. On August 

 7 the fallen squares were collected from 20 hills of cotton, and in them 

 were found 74 weevil larvae, 39 of which were dead, evidently as a 

 result of the hot weather. On August 20, 50 hills were examined for 

 adult weevils, and 43 individuals found. The cotton leaf-worm had 

 appeared only in very small numbers and in isolated spots. 



Birds were abundant about the borders of the fields, in the mesquite 

 thickets, and along roadsides. Large numbers of certain species also 

 visited the cotton fields daily. Of the birds collected here, about 15 

 percent had taken the boll weevil, 41 individuals of 8 species having 

 eaten a total of 129 weevils. During the early part of the month 

 (August) the most abundant species of bird in the cotton fields was 

 the painted bunting (Cyanosjyiza ciris). From 100 to 200 of these 

 birds were seen in a single field nearly every morning. After about 



