290 CONNECTICUT GEOL. AND NAT. HIST. SURVEY. [Bllll. 



cherries, elderberries, and juniper berries. The raspberries and 

 blackberries found in the stomachs were the only fruits that 

 might have belonged to cultivated varieties, and the quantity was 

 trifling. 



" There is hardly a more useful species than the Phoebe about 

 the farm, and it should receive every encouragement. To fur- 

 nish nesting boxes is unnecessary, as it usually prefers a more 

 open situation, like a shed, or a nook under the eaves, but it 

 should be protected from cats and other marauders." (Beal. 

 " Some Common Birds in Relation to Agriculture.") 



The Wood Pewee (Myiochanes virens) was found by Pro- 

 fessor King to feed largely on small beetles and dipterous insects, 

 including large crane-flies; and the Least Flycatcher {Em- 

 pidonax minimus) to eat beetles, Diptera, and Hymenoptera. 

 (Chapman, " Economic Value of Birds to the State.") 



Of the Least Flycatcher {Empidonax minimus) Professor 

 Forbush says, " Like all Flycatchers, this species catches flies, 

 among them the common house fly, and also some useful parasitic 

 flies. It is by no means confined to such food, however, but is 

 particularly destructive to small beetles in flight, and in this 

 respect it is most useful. It captures many moths, particularly 

 those species that fly by day, as the gypsy moth ; but it also picks 

 up many which are stirring only very early in the morning or 

 at evening. The bird watches for caterpillars, and, when it sees 

 one stir, flies from its perch and snaps up the luckless creature. 

 The bird, in common with other Flycatchers, picks up many cater- 

 pillars that, to escape Warblers and other enemies, spin down 

 on their webs or drop from the trees. The greatest service our 

 little Flycatcher renders to man consists of the destruction of 

 such orchard pests as boring beetles, bark beetles, the fly of the 

 railroad vvorm, codling moths, gipsy moths, cankerworms, and 

 other caterpillars." (Forbush, " Useful Birds and their Protec- 

 tion.") 



LARKS. 

 Alaudida. 



Our Horned Lark {Otocoris alpestris alpestris) feeds almost 

 entirely on seeds of various weeds. One examined by Dr. Judd 

 had in the stomach " a bit of a kernel of corn, 4 seeds of lamb's- 



