176 HALF HOUPtS WITH INSECTS. [Packard. 



pel the idle and shiftless to clear their farms and gardens 

 of noxious animals." We trust that those interested will 

 not suffer this matter to drop, but that a law correcting this 

 abuse of privilege in letting these destructive insects run 

 riot may be framed and passed. 



Among the natural enemies of the canker worm is the 

 Calosoma scrutator (Fig. 139), a beautiful ground beetle 

 which ascends the trunlis of the trees and devours the cater- 

 pillars. Certain wasps, particularly the Eumenes, store up 

 the caterpillars in their nests. The Tachina fly, and an icli- 

 Pjq jgg^ neumon fly, are also said to 



prey on them, while hogs and 

 fowl devour the chrysalides. 

 Next to the parasitic ichneu- 

 mons, however, the smaller 

 birds ai-e the most efficacious 

 in destroying them. I extract 

 as follows from a paper in the 

 "American Naturalist" (May, 

 1874) important testimony on 

 this point : — 



"I am indebted to Mr. C. 



J. Maynard of Ipswich for the 

 Calosoma scrutator. . „ . . „ ^. ^, 



following information upon the 



birds which devour the canker worm. He informs me that in 

 the course of his investigations he has opened the stomachs 

 of some three thousand birds. 



' In answer to your questions relative to birds eating can- 

 ker worms and the larvae of other injurious insects I would 

 say that upon examining my notes, I find that I have taken 

 canker worms from the stomachs of the following species : — 

 red-eyed vireo {Vireo oUvaceus), song sparrow {3Ielospiza 

 melodia), chickadee {Parus atricapillus) ^ scarlet tanager 

 {Pyranga rubra) ^ robin {Turdus migratorius) , black billed 

 cuckoo (Coccygus erythrophthalvius), wood pewee {Contopus 



16 



