EEPOST OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 287 



parts of the cotton-growing regions of Texas. The persons who carried 

 this plan out did not learn from experience of the bad habits of the spar- 

 row for the simi>le reason that he would not stay. In a very short time 

 after their importation in considerable numbers, hardly a sparrow was 

 tobe found in the State. Persons interested in the experiment believed 

 thatthe climate was too warm, and suggested as the only means of bird re- 

 lief the importation of some South American sparrow of similar habits. 

 "We very much doubt, however, if any bird could be introduced which 

 would prove a greater blessing than any one of many birds iudigeuous 

 to the cotton States, if equally encouraged. My own advice is, after 

 careful consideration of the subject, cultivate and protect the native 

 birds, and drop all thought of the English sparrow for the present. 

 Protect the native insectivorous birds, by putting a stop to their destruc- 

 tion by ignorant individuals and by birds of prey. There are two birds 

 in particular which should always be killed on sight. These are the 

 blue-jay and the cow-bird. We quote from Professor Aughey concern- 

 ing these two bad characters : 



Among tlie birds most Iiostile to birds are the blue-jays. They rob the nests of 

 other birds of their eggs. Wantouly they often kill even the young and throw them 

 out of the nest. The increase of jays ia, therefore, incompatible with the general in- 

 crease of insectivorous and other small birds, especially of those that nest on trees and 

 shrubs. It is hard for the naturalist to give up such a dandy among birds, but as he 

 is only a blackleg in lino clothes, the feathered tribes are healthier and safer without 

 his society. 



Perhaps no bird causes such wholesale destruction among birds as the cow-bird. 

 Its habit of laying its eggs in the nests of other birds, one only in a nest, and leaving 

 them to be hatched out and nourished by the foster parents, to' the destruction of their 

 own kind, meiits banishment and death. Even crows and magpies do much less 

 harm to other bii'ds than jays and cow-birds. 



In addition to doing away with these active enemies of the insect- 

 ivorous birds, the latter should be encouraged in every possible way to 

 nest around plantations. For the martins, native sparrows, and others 

 that will make use of artificial nesting places, boxes should be provided, 

 if possible. Children should be taught to protect, not to destroy them, 

 and a general sentiment in favor of birds should be established. Not only 

 would the cotton-worm suffer, but a good step will have been taken 

 towards releasing the planter fi-om the tyranny of his other numerous 

 insect enemies. 



Among reptiles, several varieties of lizzards have been reported by 

 correspondents as eating cotton-worms, but none have meutioued names 

 or forwarded specimens, so we are unable to give specific names. Land 

 turtles are also reported to be foud of the worms, and as might naturally 

 be expected, the common toad is said to feast upon them. 



INVEKTEBRATE ENEMIES. 



The invertebrate enemies of the cotton-worm are, with the exception 

 of the spiders, all true insects. These enemies may be divided, for the 

 sake of convenience, into tlio&e predaceous and those parasitic upon the 

 cotton-worm in one or another of its stages. * 



*The use of these two words in contradistinction the one to the other is to be dep- 

 recated, under ordinary circumstances, liom the fact that they are not sufficiently 

 dednitely limited in their meaning, and that there are mauy insects which it would 

 be difficult to designate by the one woid or the other. In the present case, however, no 

 such difficulty occurs, and we adopt the tevms ^iredactous and imrasitiG as atibrdingthe 

 most convenient division of this head. 



