1912 " J General Notes. 113 



Bird Enemies of the Chinese Cotton Scale. — For several years our 

 shade trees, especially maples and black locust, ornamental shrubs and 

 vines, have been threatened with destruction by the invasion of the Chinese 

 cotton scale. I have kept close watch over the pest to see if it had any 

 bird enemies, and not until last winter was I able to satisfy myself that 

 there were birds which sought the scale for food. A flock of twenty-five 

 Redpolls {Acanthis linaria) passed the winter months in the city, and 

 came almost daily to the maple trees about my home and fed upon the 

 cotton scale. Their peculiar action in reaching around beneath the 

 branches of the trees whilst feeding first attracted my attention, and with 

 the aid of my field glasses I was able to determine their kind and what 

 they were feeding upon. 



Frequently a number of Pine Finches would associate with the Redpolls 

 and partake of the same insect food. It is claimed by some observers that 

 the Western Evening Grosbeak (Coccothraustes vespertinus montanus), 

 feeds upon the Cliinese scale, but I am inclined to doubt this assertion, 

 from the observation I constantly had over a large flock of over one hun- 

 dred which spent the winter in this city, and upon no occasion did I notice 

 them feeding upon the scale. A friend told me he had observed the 

 Chickadees feeding on the Chinese cotton scale and I trust that he was not 

 deceived. 



This season, for the first time, the city authorities have systematically 

 sprayed all our shade trees with some chemical which has pretty thor- 

 oughly annihilated the scale pest, so the opportunity for study along this 

 line will not be so favorable this winter. — W. W. Arnold, Colorado Springs, 

 Colo. 



