[Auk 

 July 



the wood pewee {Myiochanes virens) was observed to destroy large numbers 

 of Crambus laqueatellus at Haw Patch, Ind., and C. H. Fernald observed 

 barn swallows feeding on different species of Crambus in Maine. Meadow- 

 larks frequent weedy fields which harbor the larvae of Crambus, and as these 

 birds are known to feed on various species of cutworms, they doubtless 

 feed also on the larvse of the tobacco Crambus." 



The third insect pest, to whose bird enemies the Bureau of Entomology 

 draws our attention is the rose aphis {Macrosiphum rosce). Mr. H. M. 

 Russell, the author of a bulletin on this plant louse states ^ that he has 

 observed the California House Finch and the White-crowned Sparrow 

 feeding on the aphides. The latter bird almost cleared a rose bush of the 

 lice in ten minutes, during which time many hundreds must have been 

 eaten. 



A Canadian pubhcation may be briefly mentioned here for the sake of 

 correcting an erroneous statement relating to birds as enemies of the chinch 

 bug. The author, Mr. H. F. Hudson, states r^ " Unlike most of our other 

 insect pests, which, for a time, seem to gain the mastery of a tract of 

 country, the chinch bug enjoys almost practical immunity from attack by 

 birds." 



On the contrary the chinch bug has no such immunity; we cannot expect 

 birds to specialize on a single species, but there is no doubt that chinch bugs 

 are taken in their proper proportion to the insect world at large. The fol- 

 lowing 17 species of birds are known to prey upon the chinch bug: Bob- 

 white, Prairie Chicken, Redwinged Blackbird, Catbird, Mocking-bird, 

 Brown Thrasher, IVIeadowlark, House Wren, Tree Swallow, Horned Lark, 

 Arkansas Kingbird, Traill's Flycatcher, Seaside Sparrow, Savannah Spar- 

 row, Song Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, and Barn Swallow. — W. L. M. 



Hewitt on ' The protection of birds in and around Ottawa.' ^ — 



It is a significant proof of the value of bird protection for the Entomologist 

 of a great country like the Dominion of Canada to lend active assistance 

 to the forwarding of the plan described in the present paper. At the sug- 

 gestion of the author, and with the cooperation of the Ottawa Field Natura- 

 list's Club, two of the larger pubhc reservations near Ottawa have been 

 made bird sanctuaries. They will be abundantly supplied with nest boxes 

 and it is hoped that a great increase in bird population will result. 



Dr. Hewitt has had previous experience along this line, having success- 

 fully used nest boxes to attract birds to an area where their aid was needed 

 in combating the larch sawfly. This was near Manchester, England. 

 " In the first year (1908), 60 boxes were distributed and 31 per cent were 

 occupied. The number of boxes was increased yearly until in 1911 there 



> Bull. 90. U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, May, 1914, p. 10. 



» Ent. Circular No. 3. Div. of Ent., Canada Dept. of Agriculture, 1914. p. 12. 

 » Hewitt, C. G. The Ottawa Naturalist, Vol. XXVII, No. 12, March, 1914, 

 pp. 161-171, Pis. 21-23. 



