^°1908^^] Recent Literature. 97 



Robin. The Western Tanager (Piranga ludovidana) becomes occasionally 

 a nuisance in the orchard, but for the most part is a resident of other dis- 

 tricts than the fruit growing region. The Swallows, as a group, are excep- 

 tionally beneficial birds, subsisting almost wholly, at all times, upon insect 

 food. The Vireos also subsist chiefly upon insects, and are innocent of 

 depredations upon fruit, but they possess a fondness for coccinellid beetles, 

 the enemies of the bark scale and plant lice. The Warblers, as would be 

 expected, come in for imqualified praise as beneficial species, their food 

 being not only almost wholly insectivorous but consisting largely of noxious 

 species. The Wrens, Creepers, Nuthatches and Titmice have also an 

 equally good recoid; but the Mockingbird and certain of the Thrushes, 

 including the Robin, but not the Bluebirds, partake more or less of fruits; 

 but the verdict, for even the Robin, is that they are far more beneficial 

 than injurious. 



This valuable report is illustrated by one colored and three plain plates 

 of as many species of birds, drawn by Fuertes, and one illustrating the 

 seed diet of the House Finch. The evidence here presented should go 

 far to place the smaller birds of California in their true light of benefactors 

 rather than foes of the orchardist and farmer, the debit and credit accounts, 

 presented apparently with great fairness and from positive information, 

 balancing greatly in their favor. — J. A. A. 



HoweU on the Relation of Birds to the Cotton Boll Weevil. ' — This is 

 the third report of progress on the investigation of birds in their relation 

 to the rapidly spreading cotton boll wee^^l pest in Texas and Louisiana. 

 "As a result of investigations carried on intermittently during five seasons 

 43 species of our native birds have been found to feed on the weevil," 

 some of them in smnmer, others in winter. The results of these thus far 

 rather limited investigations are given in detail for each species. Of the 

 86 species studied in this connection, just one half are boll-weevil-eating, 

 and one half are not. But birds have been proved to be so important 

 a check upon the spread of this pest that recommendations are presented 

 for the legal protection of certain wee\al-eating species now wholly unpro- 

 tected in Texas, the erection of nesting boxes for Martins, and the dissem- 

 ination of infonnation regarding the important aid afforded by birds in 

 holding in check this grave pest. Among the most useful species in this 

 respect are the Flycatchers, Orioles, Blackbirds, certain of the Sparrows 

 and Finches, the Swallows, etc. The report is illustrated with designs 

 for Martin houses, text figures of the Barn Swallow, Kingbird and Crow- 

 Blackbird, and a colored plate of the Baltimore and Orchard Orioles. — 

 J. A. A. 



1 The Relation of Birds to the Cotton Boll Weevil. By Arthur Howell, Assistant 

 Biologist, Biological Survey. U. S. Department of Agriculture, Biological Survey, 

 Bulletin No. 29. Pp. 30, 1 colored plate (frontispiece), and 6 text figures. 



