VOl 'l^n VI11 ] Recent Literature. 141 



Another supposedly distasteful insect, the yellow-bear caterpillar 

 (Diacrisia virginica), became injuriously abundant in the Upper Arkansas 

 Valley, Colorado, in 1909. H. O. Marsh, who investigated the outbreak 

 says: ' " A remarkable feature of this outbreak is that the larvae had so few 

 natural enemies. Birds did not eat them, and with the exception of a few 

 individuals which were killed by parasites and disease they appeared to be 

 unmolested." It should not be inferred from this that birds never eat 

 these very hairy caterpillars. As a matter of fact the Bobwhite - and the 

 Black-billed Cuckoo 3 are already recorded as feeding on them. 



The Chief of the Bureau of Entomology, Dr. L. O. Howard, begins a new 

 comprehensive series of publications on mosquitos with a bulletin entitled 

 'Preventive and Remedial Work against Mosquitos.' Ten pages are 

 devoted to mosquito consumers such as salamanders, dragon-flies, preda- 

 ceous mosquitos and fish. As this chapter discusses only the practical 

 use of natural enemies of mosquitos, birds, not being susceptible to such 

 use, are omitted. The fact that such a good general discussion of mosquito 

 enemies other than birds is available, makes it desirable to give a hint 

 at least of the number and kinds of birds that must be included in any 

 complete survey of the natural enemies of mosquitos. In the report 4 

 of the Chief of the Biological Survey for 1908 the Chimney Swift (Chxetura 

 pelagica), Nighthawk (Chordeiles virginianus), Northern Phalarope (Lobipes 

 lobatus) and Killdeer (Oxyechus vociferus) are named as mosquito eating 

 birds. Other Biological Survey records are for Wilson's Phalarope (Stega- 

 nopus tricolor), Pectoral Sandpiper (Pisobia maculata), Baird Sandpiper 

 (Pisobia bairdi), the Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia) and the Wren-tit 

 {Chamcea fasciata). John B. Smith states 5 that numbers of the larvae 

 of the salt marsh mosquito (Aedes sollicilans) were found in the stomachs 

 of the Ring-neck Plover (JEgialitis semipalmata) , the Least Sandpiper 

 (Pisobia minutilla) and the Semipalmated Sandpiper (Ereunetes pusillus). 

 In fact shorebirds in general seem to be especially fitted both by habits 

 and tastes to be the most important enemies of mosquito larvae among 

 birds. Birds which feed on the wing naturally capture the most adult 

 mosquitos. Such enemies include the Purple Martin (Progne subis), 6 

 Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon lunifrons), 7 Bank Swallow (mentioned above), 

 the Tree (Iridoprocne bicolor) 4 and Barn Swallow (Hirundo erythrogastra) 8 

 Chimney Swift, Whip-poor-will (Anlrostomus carolinensis) , 9 and Night- 

 hawk. Stomachs of the Cuban Nighthawk (Chordeiles virginianus minor) 



« Bull. 82, Pt. 5, Bur. Ent.. Aug., 1910, p. 62. 



2 Bull. 21, Biological Survey, 1905, p. 45. 



3 Bull. 9, Biological Survey, 1898, p. 14. 



4 Ann. Rep. Dept. Agr., 1908, p. 577. 



1 Report on the Mosquitos of N. J., 1904, pp. 85-86. 



5 Port Jefferson, N. Y. Echo, Aug. 17, 1901. 



7 Merriam, P. A. Birds of Village and Field, 1898, p. 54. 



"Forbush, E. H. Useful Birds and Their Protection [1907], pp. 345-346. 



9 Howard, L. O. Bull. 25, IT. S. Div. Ent., 1900, p. 49. 



