2o5 NATURAL SCIENCE. September. 



referred to. The number of mocking birds examined amounted only 

 to fifteen, so that it is unsafe to generalise upon the information 

 gleaned from the contents of their stomachs. Mr. Judd tells us that 

 a strong prejudice exists against this famous mimic on account of the 

 injury which it is alleged to inflict on fruit. It is a bird which attaches 

 itself to human society. " During the period of incubation the song 

 of the mocker is at its best, and is heard at night from the maUj 

 perched on the gable. Despite this token of its confidence in man, a 

 planter in Florida killed over a thousand mockers and buried them 

 under his grape-vines, because they had taken some fruit " ! Mr. 

 Judd admits that in Southern Texas the mocking bird is numerous 

 enough to do some damage to peaches and grapes. " To prevent its 

 ravages it is a common practice to tie up the vines in mosquito 

 netting." On the other hand, the mocking bird is known to destroy 

 many insects. Dr. Stiles states that even in Texas it feeds on large 

 spiders and grasshoppers, while the late Professor Riley enumerated 

 this species among the enemies of the destructive cotton worm. It 

 would seem, therefore, to be entitled to a fair measure of consideration 

 and forbearance at the hands of agriculturists. The catbird and 

 brown thrasher receive much fuller treatment at the hands of Mr. 

 Judd than is accorded to the more interesting mocking bird. It is 

 unfortunate that the European house sparrow should be found to 

 drive the house wren from its nesting-places. 



A table is annexed to this paper, from which we learn the 

 different percentages of food constituents found in the stomachs of no 

 fewer than 213 catbirds and 121 specimens of the inore retiring brown 

 thrasher. 



Mr. Beal deals at considerable length with the food of the 

 meadow lark, three-fourths of wKich consists of insects, even in the 

 winter time. Complaints have been received from farmers that the 

 meadow lark pulls sprouting corn, and devours newly-sown clover 

 seed. The evidence obtained by the examination of the stomachs of 

 238 meadow larks completely refutes the charge. The specimens 

 which supplied material for laboratory investigations were collected 

 in twenty-four States, in the district of Columbia, and in Canada, and 

 represent every month in the year. It is only right, however, to 

 observe that of the total insect food of the 238 birds examined, grass- 

 hoppers, locusts, and crickets constitute by far the most important 

 element, averaging 29 per cent, of all food consumed during the year. 

 "Even in January they form more than i per cent., and increase 

 rapidly until August, when they reach the surprising amount of 69 per 

 cent." The Baltimore oriole, although a general favourite owing to 

 its bright plumage and agreeable vocal powers, has to meet the 

 objection that it levies blackmail on grapes and other fruit, as well as 

 on garden peas. The report on the stomachs of no fewer than 113 

 individuals, shot between April and August, entirely disproves the 

 notion that this bird is an enemy of the gardener. Mr. W. F. Webster 

 does not appear to overstate the case when he observes that this bird 

 "is worth its weight in gold as an insect destroyer." H. A. M. 



Serial and Other Publications. 



The i6th Annual Report of the Manchester Microscopical Society 

 shows a satisfactory state of things in that the number of members is 

 214, and there is a balance in hand of some ;^23. The volume con- 

 tains numerous interesting papers, of which we may especially notice 

 "Animal Life of the Lancashire Coal Measures," by Herbert Bolton, 



