374 



THE MUSEUM. 



lice, but the cocoons of a microlepi- 

 dopteron, probably a tineid. Length 

 1-12 to 1-8 inch; width, 1-12 to i-io 

 inch; elHptical, dark brown or reddish 

 brown. They are closely spun, the 

 upper surface apparently being of leaf 

 epidermis, while underneath is a small 

 well-formed cocoon which contains a 

 minute green larva which evidently 

 hibernates as such, probably pupating 

 in the spring. The larva undoubtedly 

 feeds on the leaves of the apple-tree, 

 as these cocoons were taken from the 

 small twigs at the extreme end of a 

 large branch. Some of these cocoons 

 are empty and have a minute hole at 

 one end, which probably served for 

 the egress of some small parasite. 

 These cocoons are eaten by the chick- 

 adee, and have been found in the giz- 

 zard of the birds." 



The case-bearers and the tineids or 

 leaf miners are injurious to the foliage 

 of the apple-trees. 



It was noticed by Mr. Bailey, who 

 watched the birds closely for several 

 days, that they were eating quantities 

 of both of these insects. It would 

 have been impossible for any one to 

 determine the species of the leaf min- 

 ers'as found in the birds' stomachs, for 

 little remained but small fragments of 

 the shell of the creature. Mr. Bailey 

 noticed that the birds were taking ob- 

 jects from the twigs, some of which 

 they ate; others they rejected and 

 dropped upon the snow. Some of 

 those dropped he picked up and ex- 

 amined, finding them to be parasitized. 

 The birds undoubtedly ate only those 

 which were alive. 



It was evident from a careful exami- 

 nation of the eggs found in the stom- 

 achs of the chickadees that they were 

 either broken by the bill in such a way 



that the contents were exposed to the 

 action of the gastric juice or the gas- 

 tric fluid destroyed a portion of the 

 shell. Occasionally a few eggs which 

 appeared to be whole were found in 

 the intestines. 



A great quantity of animal food is 

 required to sustain life and provide an- 

 imal heat sufficient to enable these 

 little birds to resist the inclemency of 

 our severe winters. In proof of this 

 it may be stated that during favorable 

 weather the birds visited the meat and 

 ate largely of it three times each hour 

 with fair regularity. During each in- 

 terval they were occupied in destroy- 

 ing eggs and other hibernating insect 

 forms which were always present and 

 numerous in the stomachs examined. 

 This feeding appeared to be almost 

 continuous except in severe storms 

 when the birds sought shelter or when 

 they were laboring under excitement 

 caused by fear, as in the case of a 

 visit from a hawk, cat or shrike. 

 Whenever a cat appeared they immed- 

 iately hid behind the branches and re- 

 mained quiet until the intruder had 

 passed. The appearance of other 

 enemies or the firing of a gun would 

 produce much the same effect. 

 (To be continued.') 



A Curious Collision. 



While watching the antics of a num- 

 ber of Chimney Swallows, a few days 

 since, that were circling above my 

 head collecting their food, which they 

 always get while on the wing, I saw 

 two of the little fellows enter into a 

 fight which finally proved fatal to one. 



After keeping up the fight for a few 

 minutes, high in the air, they descend- 

 ed to within a few feet of the ground, 

 and both flew, struggling, toward a 

 board fence, intending, I suppose, to 

 go between two boards. 



I heard them strike the fence and 

 on going to look, found one little com- 

 batant dead. On examination I 

 found that he struck full in the breast, 

 crushing it in, which caused its death. 

 J. T. Dalton, Hampden, Mass. 



