INSECTS AFFFXTING PARK AND WOODLAND TREES I I I 



Natural enemies. Like its associates, this species has a number of 

 important natural enemies. A fungous disease is known to attack this 

 caterpillar, but at present little has been done in attempting to disseminate 

 it. One of the most fruitful methods of keeping- the pest in check through 

 the aid of its natural enemies, will probably l)e found in encouraging and 

 protecting the native birds known to feed on it. Robins, orioles, chipping 

 sparrows, catbirds, cuckoo.s, the red-eyed, white-eyed, and warbling vireos, 

 cedar birds and nuthatches have been observed feeding on forest tent cater- 

 pillars by Miss Caroline G. Soule who writes: "The nuthatches would 

 stand by a patch of larvae lying close together below a tar band on a tree 

 and eat so voraciously and with such an entire abandonment of self-con- 

 sciousness that I could go close and put my hand on them before they 

 would fly. This experience was repeated several times." Mr William 

 Saunders gives an instance in which a black-billed cijckoo was brought to 

 him with its crop filled with caterpillars. Mr E. H. Forbush, ornithologist 

 to the Massachusetts State Board of Agriculture, has kindly supplied me 

 with the following list of native birds observed by him feeding on forest 

 tent caterpillars : Baltimore oriole, black-billed cuckoo, yellow-billed cuckoo, 

 crow, blue jay, American redstart, white-breasted nuthatch, wood thrush, 

 chewink, black and white creeper, red-eyed vireo, flicker and scarlet tanager. 

 He has since published a list including the following additional species : 

 yellow-bellied sapsucker, bronzed grackle or crow blackbird, chipping 

 sparrow, towhee, English sparrow, warbling vireo, white-eyed vireo, black 

 and white warbler, yellow warbler, catbird, chickadee, American robin and 

 cedar waxwing. Prof. V. H. Lowe has observed the black-capped chickadee 

 feeding on the eggs besides others mentioned above. Prof. C. M. Weed 

 states that the robin, chipping sparrow, yellow bird and English sparrow 

 feed on the moths. 



The value of birds in keeping other pests under control is also strik- 

 ingly shown in the experiment conducted by Mr Forbush. In a typical 

 orchard at Medford Mass., a little trouble was taken to attract the native 

 birds, the nests of the English or house sparrow being destroyed. The 



