FIELD INVESTIGATIONS IN 1907. - 29 



The redwings fed mainly in ])astures gro>Yn up to liiiisaclie, but 

 (hey were occasionally seen in cultivated fields. Of the 18 sj>ec'i- 

 niens collected, 2 were found to contain 1 boll weevil each. The 

 irreat-tailed o^rackles were verv fond of following the ploAv, but onlv 1 

 of the 17 birds taken had picked up a boll weevil. The meadow 

 larks were much reduced in numbers, most of them having retired to 

 the prairies to breed. Eight specimens were taken in the fields and 

 the stomach of one of them contained a boll weevil. 



Columbus, Tex., April 6-11. — Cotton was a little farther advanced 

 here than at Victoria, and there was a large quantity of seppa grow- 

 ing in most of the fields. Six boll weevils were found on 25 stalks of 

 the seppa. Birds were rather scarce about the fields. About 50 

 specimens were collected, only 2 of which had eaten boll weevils. 



Four Carolina wrens were taken in the timber along the river, 

 and the stomach of 1 of them contained 2 boll weevils. A flock 

 of about 15 upland plover was found feeding in a cultivated field, 

 where they folloAved the plowman or ran about among the young 

 cotton and corn in search of insects. They were very wild, but 6 

 specimens were secured, 1 of which had eaten a boll weevil. 



Gurley, Tex., April 12-24- — At this date cotton was 3 or 4 inches 

 high, but not yet thinned. Only a few stalks of seppa had survived 

 the frosts, but these had been discovered by the Aveevils, which were 

 thus provided with food until the planted cotton became available. 

 Three weevils were found on 1 seppa plant and 1 on another. 



Birds were rather scarce at this tiate. About 100 specimens were 

 taken, mainly the smaller brush-inhabiting species, but none of them 

 had eaten boll weevils. 



Mansfield, La., April 26 to May 3. — On account of a cold, wet 

 spring the cotton here was A'ery backAvard, and most of it had been 

 planted over once or even twice. Seppa cotton had survived the 

 late frosts, however, and boll weevils were found feeding on these 

 plants. 



Birds were very abundant, particularly woodpeckers, wrens, tit- 

 mice, wood pewees. and orchard orioles. Most of them, however, 

 fed in the timber where insect food was abundant. Kingbirds were 

 numerous about the fields and pastures, and of 8 specimens collected 

 1 had captured a boll weevil. 



Crested flycatchers were not common and, as they frequent the 

 taller trees in the woods, it Avas somewhat of a surprise to find 2 boll 

 weevils in the stomach of a specimen, shot from the top of a large 

 pine, at some distance from the cotton fields. 



The orchard orioles, whose usefulness during the summer months 

 as boll weevil destroyers has been well established, were found to be 

 ali'eady beginning their good woi'k. Eighteen specimens were exam- 

 ined and 1 of them (taken April 27) had eaten a boll weevil. 



