BIRDS, CATERPILLARS, AND PLANT LICE. 127 



twice and ate plant lice and some small larvje. Three Red-ey(>,d Vireos 

 came to the oak trees and ate the larvae from tiie leaves and the plant 

 lice from the birch leaves. 



June 3, 1898. — I went to the park near the boulevard. Saw an 

 Oriole take four forest tent caterpillars, one at a time, and carry them 

 away to its young. A Yellow Warbler was eating plant lice for fifteen 

 minutes, although it rained quite hard. A pair of ()vcn-l)irds were 

 feeding on plant lice for a long time. Several Chestnut-sided Warblers 

 came to the birch trees and ate plant lice, then went to the oaks and 

 poplars and took larva; of different kinds and ate them. A Catbird was 

 picking larva3 from the under sides of the leaves ; most of them were 

 green I-avy-x. Two Chewinks (Towhees) were scratching in the leaves, 

 but I could not see what they got from the ground. They took some 

 forest tent caterpillars from the trunks of the oaks. A Maryland Yel- 

 low-throat came out of the thick brush and ate plant lice for about ten 

 minutes. A Rose-breasted Grosbeak was busy in the oak trees. He 

 came to the birches for a moment and ate plant lice. A Red-eyed 

 Vireo ate two forest tent caterpillars, taking them from the under side 

 of a liml). The Indigo Bird could not be easily observed; he was evi- 

 dently eating plant lice. The Brown Thrush could not be seen dis- 

 tinctly ; he Avas searching in the fallen leaves. A Black-billed Cuckoo 

 had a nest near, and carried forest tent caterpillars to its mate. 



June 6, 1898. — The Red-ej-ed Vireos seem to be feeding on more 

 gipsy larvte than the other birds that come near enough to be observed. 

 They will take a larva from the under side of a leaf or a crevice in 

 the bark, and, putting one foot on the larva, will proceed to pull it to 

 pieces, eating the softer parts and dropping the hairy parts. An Oven- 

 bird came to the colony and ate four of the small larvae, picking them 

 from the under sides of the leaves. I saw a Black and White W^arbler 

 carrying cankerworms to its young ; it would take two and sometimes 

 three at a time. A Baltimore Oriole was taking tent caterpillars to its 

 young, taking those that were on the outside of the nest. A male Bobo- 

 link came to the birch trees and remained about twenty minutes, picking 

 I)lant lice. The Field Sparrows and Indigo Birds were also busy feed- 

 ing on plant lice. A Wood I'hrush took the cankerworms aw\ay to its 

 young. A Chewink took two tent caterpillars from a bush and ate them. 

 A Scarlet Tanager flew from the oaks into the apple tree and ate canker- 

 Avorms. The Chestnut-sided Warblers were the most plentiful of any 

 of the birds, and were eating plant lice almost constantly. 



June 8, 1898. —I went to the park, Stoneham, near Spot Fond, to 

 observe the feeding habits of birds. A pair of Brown Thrushes were 

 feeding their young ; they averaged going to the nest one every five 

 minutes, and carried several larv;e each time. A Kingbird caught a 

 Buprestid beetle and ate it. I had made an attemjjt at catching it when 

 it was on the trunk of the apple tree ; it flew, and was snapped up by 

 the Kingbird. This orchard is infested with cankerworms. It is situ- 



