416 Recent Literature. [july 



Coming from so distinguished an entomologist, these conclusions carry 

 much weight, and they are well worth the attention of certain economic 

 entomologists of the United States, who have expressed very different 

 views of the relative importance of birds and parasitic insects.— W. L. M. 



Bryant, on Relation of Birds to an Insect Outbreak in Calif ornia.'^ 



This valuable economic paper deals with an outbreak of a butterfly, Eugonia 

 californica, which swarmed over portions of California and the larvjB of 

 which defoliated the Snow-brush and Buck-brush, two species of Ceanothus. 

 Mr. Bryant's investigations show that five species of birds fed upon the 

 butterflies. Bi-ewer's Blackbird {Eiiphagus cyanocephalus) being the most 

 important and consuming 95 per cent of all the butterflies eaten by birds. 

 Butterfles seem to be rarely eaten by birds under normal conditions and 

 the change of food in this instance is interesting as illustrating how valuable 

 a bird not usually of economic importance may become under extraordinary 

 conditions. The great benefit entailed in the destruction of female butter- 

 flies before or during ovipositing as compared with the destruction of 

 larvae is also pointed out by the author and he estimates that of one Brewer's 

 Blackbird destroyed 100,000 butterflies in a month and his observations 

 seem to support him. If one third of these were females, the destruction 

 of eggs would amount to 336,000! — W. S. 



Economic Ornithology in Recent Entomological Publications. — 



The following reviews relate exclusively to publications of the U. S. Bureau 

 of Entomology, hence the name of that office is not repeated in the refer- 

 ence. The first article,^ in point of date of issue, which we desire to note 

 deals with the bill-bug {Sphenophorus callosus). This species, which does 

 great damage to corn in many states, is commonly known in the Carolinas 

 as the " curlew-bug." This appellation refers to a point in common be- 

 tween the bird and the beetle — a long curved beak. One bird enemy of 

 the curlew-bug, the Nighthawk, is mentioned on the authority of the Bio- 

 logical Survey. The finding of not only this species, but of several other 

 Sphenophorus, in stomachs of Nighthawks, has a bearing on a debated point, 

 i. e., whether these beetles fly. There is no doubt that most if not all of 

 those eaten by the Nighthawk are taken on the wing. 



The false wireworms of the genus Eleodes, family Tenebrionidse, are 

 said ' to do more damage to newly planted grain in the northwestern states 

 than any insect pests other than the true wireworms of the family Elateri- 

 dae. The Sage Hen, the Burrowing Owlj and Butcherbird are said to feed 

 upon them and Brewer's Blackbirds often follow the plow to pick up the 

 larvae and pupae. Western Bluebirds were seen to feed on larvae which had 



1 The Relation of Birds to an Insect Outbreak in Northern California during 

 the Spring and Summer of 1911. By Harold C. Bryant. The Condor, Vol. XIII, 

 Nov., 1911, pp. 195-208. 



2 Webster, F. M. The so-called "curlew-bug." Bull. 95, Ft. IV. April 10, 

 1912. 



3 Hyslop, J. A. Bull. 95, Pt. V, April 22, 1912. 



