ROSEBREAST VS. HAIRY CATERPILLARS. 



51 



Fig. 27. — FffU cankerworm {Alsophila 

 pometarifi). (From Riley, Bureau of 

 Entomology.) 



The dreaded army Avorni {Heliophila Kuipiivcta^ fig. 28), which 

 sometimes appears in myriads and devastate fields of grain and grass, 

 also is the prey of this beautiful grosbeak. A bird from Illinois in 

 July had captured G of these destructive caterpillars. 



The tent-caterpillars are another group of noxious lepidopterous 

 insects, which are common in many 

 parts of the United States. They 

 greatly damage orchards, as well as 

 shade and w^oodland trees. E. H. 

 Forbush " is authority for the state- 

 ment that the rose-breasted gros- 

 beak preys upon the orchard tent- 

 caterpillar {Malacosoma rnnericana^ 

 fig. 29), and Prof. C. M. Weed '^ 

 reports that the bird devours 

 moths, larvae, and pupae of the forest tent-caterpillar (J/, disstria). 



Two other insects of this order, which are usually thought of 

 together and which indeed are closely related, are the gipsy moth 



(fig. 30) and the brown-tailed moth (fig. 31). 

 Mere mention of their names calls to mind the 

 enormous damage done by them in the State of 

 Massachusetts, and of the costly efforts being 

 made to stamp out these disastrous invaders 

 from across the sea. Birds have proved of serv- 

 ice as allies in this struggle, and the present 

 species is by no means least in importance 

 among them. In the original report ^ on the 

 gipsy moth, as well as in later publications,'^ 

 the rosebreast is listed among the species de- 

 vouring the larvse, Avhile in regard to the 

 brown-tail moth Messrs. Mosher and Kirkland 

 report '' that '"' a rose-breasted grosbeak ate .57 

 caterpillars in twenty minutes." 



Fig. 28.— Army worm \ . •' . . 



(Heiiophihi iinipuncta,. 1 his species cats hairv and spmy caterpillars 

 (From riiittpnden, i?u- .^^ readily as smooth ones, and the idea so often 



reau of Fntoraology.) " i i • • rt> ■ 



advanced that such hairy armature is enective 

 protection against the attack of birds receives little support from the 

 food habits of the grosbeaks. Tussock and gipsy moths and both 

 of the tent caterpillars are devoured, though very hairy. The 



"Mass. State Rd. A^v. Rep. (1!>00), 1001, p. :iL5. 



&N. II. Exp. Sta. Rnll. 7."), 1!)U(). p. 121. 



"Forbush, K. IL, and Fcnuild. (\ IL. The (li])sy Moth, isiMI. p. liP.l. 



'^Forbush, E. II.. Mass. Slnlc I'.d. Ayr. Hep. (11)00). T.»(t1. p. :\M\. 



« Forbush, E. II„ Mass. State Rd. Agr. Rei»., ISJK), p. :VJ2. 



