10 BIRDS THAT EAT THE COTTON BOLL WEEVIL. 



clear. A study of their food made by Prof. F. E. L. Beal shows that 

 some species, notably the Brewer blackbird and the great-tailed 

 grackle, may at times be injurious to corn and other grain. However, 

 the season in which blackbirds render the greatest service in destroying 

 boll weevils, namely, winter and early spring, is not the season when 

 they are likely to damage growing crops. And, furthermore, a very 

 large proportion of the blackbirds leave Texas during the summer 

 months. It seems, therefore, that in protecting them in winter, when 

 they visit the cotton fields, the farmer is making no mistake. 



In addition to protective bird laws the whole community should be 

 informed as to the value of insectivorous species, with a view to the 

 cultivation of popular sentiment in favor of their preservati on. With- 

 out this sentiment, and the resulting cooperation on the part of the 

 people, protective laws are of little value. 



STATUS OF THE SPECIES OF BIRDS KNOWN TO EAT THE BOLL 



WEEVIL. 



In the summary which follows, the results obtained by previous 

 investigations are combined with those secured during the past season, 

 thus bringing together all that is at present known concerning the 

 relations of birds to boll weevils. The tables at the close furnish a 

 partial list of the birds which have been examined in the course of the 

 investigations, arranged according to the seasons, and show at a 

 glance the species that have eaten weevils, the number of individuals 

 of each species eating weevils, and the number of weevils eaten. 



ORIOLES. 



(Icterus.) 



Observations carried on in 1905 indicate that in summer the birds 

 most useful in destroying boll weevils are the three species of orioles 

 occiu-ring in the cotton belt of Texas — the orchard oriole, the Balti- 

 more oriole, and the Bullock oriole. Of these the orchard oriole, 

 although apparently less numerous than the Bullock oriole, is more 

 generally distributed over the cotton-growing area, and is also the one 

 which is the most successful weevil destroyer. Of the 84 specimens of 

 tliis bird examined, 26, or about 31 percent, had eaten boll weevils; 

 the total number of weevils taken by the 26 birds was 47, an average of 

 nearly 2 to a bird, or 56 percent of all the birds examined. 



The Baltimore oriole occurs as a summer resident in Texas only in 

 the extreme northern and eastern portions, but during the migrations 

 it is common throughout the State as far west at least as Karnes 

 County. The 27 stomachs examined were taken between August 31 

 and September 22; six of them contained boll weevils, the total number 

 of weevils found being 10, which is 37 percent of the numbec of birds 

 examined. 



