Over large areas of the New England states, the gipsy-moth has become 

 a great scourge, for its caterpillars attack nearly all the trees in the country, 

 except pines and cedars. They destroy the leaves; and, as trees really breathe 

 through their leaves, the gipsy-moth of course is responsible for killing the 

 trees. Some states have tried many experiments in order to learn how they 

 may rid themselves of these pests. 



To learn more about the life-history of the gipsy-moth, the men in charge 

 of the experiments in Massachusetts not long ago built a large inclosure out- 

 of-doors. This was covered and surrounded by a thin netting, inside of which 

 a great many gipsy-moths were placed, where their various habits could be 

 closely watched. Then a curious thing happened, the chipping sparrows began 

 to arrive, and would continually break through the frail netting to get inside 

 the frame where they could catch the moths. The men in charge did not 

 think a moment of killing the sparrows. No, indeed ! So useful a bird should 

 not be destroyed ! They did a much wiser thing, for they kept a man on 

 guard to frighten the sparrows away when they came too close to the 

 netting. The actions of the birds plainly showed that they much preferred to 

 eat this noxious insect, instead of contenting themselves with other kinds of 

 food that might be found in the neighborhood. 



These birds are very fond of beet-worms, currant-worms, and caterpillars 

 of many kinds. Edward H. Forbush, who has spent a great deal of time in 

 finding out especially what birds eat, says : "In all, thirty-eight per cent of the 

 food of the chipping sparrow consists of animal matter, three-fourths of which 

 is made up of noxious insects. In June, ninety-three per cent of the food con- 

 sists of insects, of which thirty-six per cent is grasshoppers ; caterpillars, twenty- 

 five per cent ; and leaf-eating beetles, six per cent. I have been much im- 

 pressed with the value of this bird in the garden during the spring and summer 

 months. It destroys at least three species of caterpillar on the cabbage. It 

 is the most destructive of all birds to the injurious pea-louse, which caused 

 a loss of three million dollars to the pea crop of a single state in one year. 

 It is a persistent destroyer of the grubs that mine the leaves of beets. I 

 watched one bird secure eleven of these grubs in a few minutes." 



Th song of the chipping sparrow is little more than a continued, monoto- 

 nous repetition of chippy, chippy, chippy. This call is given in a high, wiry 

 voice, and the notes are run together imtil the sound suggests the trilling of 

 some insect. Few of the sparrows have ever attained a very high place as 

 singing birds. 



Late in the summer, Chippy changes his dress. He loses the ruddy brown 

 cap which he has worn all summer, and in appearance now much resembles 

 his mate. He then goes to the fields, where you may find him associating with 

 snowbirds, and with other kinds of sparrows. As insect-food becomes scarce, 

 and cold weather approaches, he changes his diet also, and begins to eat seeds 

 of grasses and weeds. Then there comes a morning when chippies cannot be 

 found ; over large areas of the northern part of their range they have disap- 



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