6 



KELATION OF BIRDS TO COTTON BOLL WEEVIL. 



SUMMARY OF RESULTS. 



As a result of investigations 

 seasons, 43 species of our native 

 weevil, as follows : 



Upland plover. 



Kllldeer. 



Quail. 



Nightbawk. 



Scissor-tailed flycatcher. 



Kingbird. 



Crested flycatcber. 



I*boebe. 



Olive-sided flycatcber. 



Alder flycatcber. 



I -east flycatcber. "^ 



Cowbird. 



Iled-winged blnc]xi)ird. 



JMeadow lark. 



Western meadow lark. 



Orcbard oriole. 



Baltimore oriole. 



Bullock oriole. 



Brewer blackbird. 



Bronzed grnckle. 



Great-tailed grackle. 



Savanna sparrow. 



carried on intermittently during five 

 birds have been found to feed on the 



Lark sparrow. 



■\\'bite-tbroated sparrow. 



Field sparrow. 



Towbee. 



Cardinal. 



I'yrrbuloxia. 



Painted bunting. 



Dickcissel. 



Purple martin. 



Cliff swallow. 



Bank swallow. 



Barn swallow. 



"N^ bite-rumped sbrike. 



Yellow warbler. 



Yellow-breasted cbat. 



American pipit. 



Mockingbird. 



Brown tbrasber. 



Carolina wren. 



Tufted titmouse. 



Black-crested titmouse. 



Twenty-three of the foregoing species feed on the weevil prin- 

 cipally in summer and 20 species principally^ in winter. The greatest 

 destruction of weevils in summer is wrought by swallows and 

 orioles; in Avinter, by blackbirds and meadow larks, ' It is not to be 

 supposed that the foregoing list includes all the birds Avhich feed 

 upon the boll weevil. Further investigation will dx)ubtless add a 

 number of species to the list and will show that birds which ordi- 

 narily eat but few weevils will, under certain conditions, destroy 

 a good m-any. The funds at the command of the Biological Survey 

 for this investigation have been very limited, but it is hoped that 

 means will be forthcoming not only for continuing the work, but 

 for widening its scoj^e so as to include the regions recently invaded 

 by the boll weevil. 



RECOMMENDATIONS. 



LEGISLATION NEEDED. 



In order to increase the number of useful birds in a given region 

 little need be done in most cases e.xcept to protect them from their 

 enemies, chief of which is man-. 



While most insectiAorons birds are adequately ])rotected under the 



