THE MUSEUM. 



371 



(hemlock), Jiinipcriis virginiaiia (red 

 cedar). 



The orchard itself is a typical old or- 

 chard, such as is often found on small 

 farms. It has suffered greatly from 

 neglect. Two-thirds of the original 

 trees have died or are in the last stages 

 of dissolution. This is largely the re- 

 sult of neglect and improper pruning. 

 Dead limbs and hollows in the trees 

 have offered nesting places for such 

 birds as the wren, woodpecker and 

 bluebird. 



For three years, from 1891 to 1893, 

 inclusive, the trees were trimmed and 

 cared for. They were sprayed or 

 banded to protect them from canker- 

 worms, and the "nests" of the tent 

 caterpillar {Clisiocawpa amcricand) 

 were removed. The result was a 

 scanty yield of apples from most of the 

 trees. One or two bore quite plenti- 

 fully. 



In order to observe the effect of the 

 feeding of birds in the orchard, no care 

 was taken in 1894 to protect the trees. 

 During that year the tent caterpillars 

 were very numerous in the vicinity, 

 and it became evident also that a 

 great increase in the number of canker 

 worms was taking place in the neigh- 

 borhood. Although these insects 

 made considerable inroads upon the 

 trees, they did not seriously injure the 

 foliage anywhere except in one or two 

 instances No attempt was made pre- 

 vious to 1895 to foster or encourage 

 the birci-; in the neighborhood, except 

 that a few nesting boxes were put up 

 in 1894, which were occupied in one 

 case by a family of wrens and in an- 

 other by the English or house sparrow. 

 We were careful, however, to destroy 

 the nests of the house sparrow. 



In the fall of 1894 it was noticed 



that immense numbers of the wingless 

 females of the fall canker-worm {Ani- 

 soptcryx povietaria) were ascending 

 nearly all the trees and depositing 

 their eggs; also, that the eggs of the 

 tent caterpillar moths were numerous 

 upon the twigs promising a plentiful 

 supply for 1895. 



Having allowed the insects one year 

 to increase unmolested by man, we 

 began in the winter of 1894-95 to en- 

 courage the presence of birds in the 

 orchard. 



In 1894 a small tree in the centre 

 of the orchard had been enclosed by a 

 high board fence. The tree thus en- 

 closed was used as an out-door experi- 

 ment station for observation on the 

 breeding and habits of the gipsy moth. 

 During the winter 1894-95, Mr. C. E. 

 Bailey made frequent visits to this tree 

 to ascertain whether or not the birds 

 were destroying the eggs of the gypsy 

 moth. Incidentally, Mr. Bailey ob- 

 served many interesting things in con- 

 nection with the feeding of birds on 

 the eggs, larvae and pupse of insects 

 which winter on the trees, and I am 

 greatly indebted to him for many in- 

 teresting notes on the feeding of birds 

 in this orchard. He is a careful, con- 

 scientious observor, and is intimately 

 acquainted with most of our native 

 land birds. 



Hunters and trappers are aware that 

 many species of winter birds, such as 

 titmice, woodpeckers, crows, jays and 

 nuthatches are attracted by a skinned 

 carcass suspended from a limb, and 

 will remain in the vicinity until all the 

 bones are picked clean or until, with 

 the approach of spring, insect food be- 

 comes more accessible. 



Believing from my own observations 

 that the chickadees {Par us atricapil- 



