I(j2 USEFUL BIRDS. 



the " needles " after the Kinglets had left them, and could find 

 nothing on them ; but when a ])ird was disturbed before it had 

 finished feeding, the spray from which it had been driven was 

 invarialjlj found to be infested with numerous black specks, 

 the eggs of plant lice. Evidently the birds were cleaning 

 each spray thoroughly, as far as they went. 



Since the above was written several of these infested sprays 

 have been sent to Prof. F. E. L. Beal of the Biological 

 Survey, who submitted them to Mr, Pergande of the Bureau 

 of Entomology, who says that they are the eggs of a plant 

 louse of the genus Lachnus, and in all probability Laclnius 

 Mrohi, the white pine louse. The pines are considerably 

 infested, and several pairs of Kinglets have been seen feed- 

 ing upon the eggs. 



Again since the above was written I have had occasion to 

 observe the Avork of Kinglets in our home grove of white 

 l)ine. For the past two years certain plant lice or bark lice 

 that infest these trees have been increasing so rapidly in 

 the grove as to menace the trees; but on Dec. 29, 1905, 

 seven Kinglets were seen feeding there. As it was unusual 

 to see so many there, they were carefully Avatched. They 

 were not working u})on the foliage, as in the case mentioned 

 above, but mainly on the trunks and larger branches. They 

 Avere ver}^ unsuspicious, and it was easy to see that they 

 were feeding upon the eggs of the aphids. Some of these 

 eggs were sent to Dr. L. O. Howard, who gave it as his 

 opinion that they belonged to some species of Lac/tnus. 

 These eggs were deposited in masses on the bark of the pines 

 from a point near the ground up to a height of thirty-fi\e feet. 

 The trees must have been infested with countless thousands 

 of these eggs, for the band of Kinglets remained there until 

 March 25, almost three months later, apparently feeding most 

 of the time on these eggs. AVhen they had cleared the 

 branches the little birds fluttered about the trunks, hanoino- 

 poised on busy wing, like Hununingbirds before a floAver, 

 meauAvhile rapidly pecking the clinging eggs from the bark. 

 Tn those three months they must have su])pressed hosts of 

 little tree pests, for I have never seen birds more industrious 

 and assiduous in their attentions to the trees. One miij-ht 



