128 Recent Literature. [jan. 



Palmer on National Reservations for the Protection of Wild Life. — 

 In this circular * Dr. Palmer has brought together for handy reference a 

 list of the various National reservations, where birds and wild life in general 

 are afforded protection, together with statistics upon their extent and 

 history of their establishment. Some information is also presented on the 

 species of birds and game found on certain reservations, while a bibliography 

 furnishes titles of various papers dealing with this subject. There are 95 

 of these reservations at present, located in 27 states and territories, and of 

 these 56 were set aside especially as bird refuges during the past nine vears. 

 — W. S. 



Economic Ornithology in Recent Entomological Publications. — 



A resume 1 of the entire boll weevil investigation, by W. D. Hunter and W. D. 

 Pierce, has been published as a Senate Document. 2 It discusses all kinds 

 of natural enemies of the boll weevil, including birds. A schedule of 

 stomach examinations of birds which had eaten boll weevils, on p. 146, is 

 reprinted from Biological Survey Circular No. 64. The comment on this 

 table is as follows : 



"Exhaustive studies of the stomachs of many birds killed in infested cot- 

 ton fields by the agents of the Biological Survey of this department have 

 emphasized the fact that the birds play a considerable part in the control 

 of the adult boll weevils. The investigation has resulted in a list of 53 

 species which more or less commonly feed upon the adult weevils .... 



"It will be noticed that the largest numbers of boll weevils were eaten 

 during the months of July, August, and September, and also that a con- 

 siderable number are consumed during the hibernating season. The most 

 important birds are those that capture the boll weevil during the winter. 

 According to this table these are the three species of blackbirds, two 

 meadowlarks, six species of native sparrows, the pipit, the three species 

 of wrens, and the two species of titmice. It will be noted that only one of 

 the 10S quail stomachs examined showed remains of the boll weevil." On 

 p. 145 is recorded Mr. E. A. Schwarz's observation that in Cuba " an oriole 

 (Icterus hypomelas) has developed a habit of extracting the immature stages 

 from the bolls and squares." 



Another weevil (Lissorhoplrus sitnplcx) is said to be the most serious 

 insect enemy of growing rice. The larv;e feed on the roots and the adults 

 on the leaves of the rice plant. The only natural enemies recorded are birds, 

 the records (furnished by the Biological Survey) being for the Long-billed 

 Marsh Wren and Mallard Duck. The author of the circular 3 on the rice 

 water-weevil states that Mr. C. E. Hood of the Bureau of Entomology 



' National Reservations for the Protection of Wild Life. By T. S. Palmer. 

 Circular No. s;, Bureau ol~ Biological Survey. U. S. Department of Agriculture. 

 8vo.. i>:>. l .. October .">. 1912. 



- 62n l C ingress, 2n I Session, \o 305, 1912, iss pp. 



•Tucker, K. s .. No. 152, U. S. Bur. Ent. July 10, 1912, 20 pp. 



