(:0l? Recent Literature. [oct. 



summariied on the basis of data and stomach material in possession of 

 the Biological Survey, Five-sixths of the animal food of these birds 

 proves to consist of beetles, caterpillars and grasshoppers which far more 

 than counterbalances the occasional and usually local consumption of 



grain, peas. etc. — W S. 



Economic Ornithology in recent Entomological Publications. — 

 The output of publications of all branches of the Department of Agricul- 

 ture has been abnormally small during the present calendar year. Hence 

 we find that only two of those of the Bureau of Entomology contain note- 

 worthy mention of the bird enemies of insect pests. The fruit tree leaf- 

 roller {Archips argyrospila) has caused considerable loss to fruit growers 

 in Colorado. New Mexico, and New York. Mr. John B. Gill, the author 

 of the bulletin on this pest states 1 that several species of birds have been 

 observed feeding on the larva. These birds are the Bluebird, Western 

 Robin, Catbird, Redwinged Blackbird. Orchard Oriole, Kingbird, Phoebe 

 and the English Sparrow. 



In a Farmers' Bulletin : on the common white grubs, larva? of May 

 beetles, and well known serious pests. Mr. John J. Davis gives birds first 

 place among the natural enemies. The Biological Survey has found adults 

 or larva of May beetles in the stomachs of more than 60 species of birds, 

 a fact mentioned by Mr. Davis. Some of this author's original testimony 

 is as follows: 



" Probably the most important of these enemies are the birds, especially 

 crows and crow blackbirds. Fields o( timothy sod have been literally 

 overturned by crows in their search for grubs, and in some fields the grubs 

 were almost exterminated by them. Crows have often been observed 

 following the plow in infested fields, eagerly picking up every grub that 

 was unearthed. Mr. Henry Hoh:inger. of Lancaster. Wis., said that Crow 

 Blackbirds followed the plow in great numbers where he was turning over a 

 sod field in the spring of 1912. In one instance he watched a single black- 

 bird eat many grubs, apparently its full capacity, and then gather as many 

 as it could hold in its beak and tly away. In this case the bird destroyed in 

 all 20 grubs in about 1 or 2 minutes. This habit of eating a large number 

 oi grubs and then flying away with its beak full was reported as a common 

 occurrence with the blackbird. Mr. Fred Nelson, of Tabor. S. Dak., stated 

 that his attention was directed to the unusual abundance of grubs in his 

 field in the fall of 1911 by the blackbirds which came in flocks and followed 

 him as he plowed. He soon learned that they were gathering grubs. 

 After picking up several grubs each bird would tly back to the trees a short 

 distance away and soon return. Thus there was a continuous flight from 

 the trees to the ground anil from the ground to the trees. Besides crows 

 and blackbirds practically all of our common birds feed on white grubs or 

 their adult forms, the May beetles." — W. L. M. 



> Bulletin 110. Part V. U. S. Bureau of Entomology. March 12. 1913. p. 102. 

 •No. 543, I'. ^. Department of Agriculture. July is. 1913. 



