438 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 3 



Diabrotica and Hippodamia; both have been revealed by examinations 

 of the stomachs of wild birds. Perhaps the most surprising case is of a 

 song sparrow refusing seeds of lamb's quarters, and smartweed, and 

 finally only being starved into eating seeds of pigweed. Under natural 

 conditions these are favorite foods. 



Such instances clearly show the futility of experiments on confined 

 birds in so far as learning food preferences is concerned. It will be 

 readily admitted that such experiments are even more disappointing 

 when data as to the quantity of food consumed by wild birds is desired. 

 The only way to determine accurately the economic value of the 

 various species of birds is to learn their relations to other organisms 

 under the unmodified conditions of areas voluntarily inhabited by 

 wild individuals. Experience has shown that the best, if not the 

 only thoroughly reliable methods, are the analysis of authentic pel- 

 lets, or faeces, or the contents of the crop, gizzard or other parts of the 

 alimentary canal. Hence the paper under discussion, all original 

 information in which is based on studies of captive birds, fails as a 

 contribution to knowledge of the economic value of the bobwhite. 



The fact that numerous names of weeds and insect pests were 

 added to the list of seeds and insects found in collected stomachs by 

 Judd is of no significance. Beneficial insects and cultivated fruits 

 and grains could just as well have been fed to the birds and a directly 

 opposite impression given. But in neither case would the result be a 

 guide to the behaviour of the bobwhite under natural conditions. 

 A knowledge of that behaviour, and that only, is of value in determin- 

 ing the economic status of a species. 



W. L. McAtee. 



AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGISTS 



The twenty-third annual meeting of this Association will be held at Minneapolis, 

 Minnesota, during the Christmas holidays. 



Active and associate members will receive further notice concerning the meeting 

 and blanks will be sent so that the titles of papers can be entered and returned to 

 the Secretary before the program is made up. 



Foreign members should forward to the Secretary, at once, the titles of papers 

 which they wish to present at this meeting and the manuscript should be mailed so 

 that it will arrive on or before December 15, 1910. It is impossible at this time 

 to furnish foreign members with the exact dates and hours when the sessions will be 

 held but the Secretary will take pleasure in supplying, as promptly as possible, any 

 information that will be of assistance to members who expect to be present. 



A. F. Burgess, Secretary, Melrose Highlands, Mass. 



