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annually. According to a conservative estimate made by Dr. 

 H. T. Fernald of the Massachusetts Agricultural College, in 

 1901, insects were then costing the people of Massachusetts 

 $4,400,000 annually. Using the same basis for estimation, we 

 find that the annual loss now (1915) would reach nearly twice 

 that amount, and it may exceed even that sum, as the expense 

 of the fight against insects has increased in greater propor- 

 tion than have the insects themselves. In 1890 Massachusetts 

 appropriated $25,000 for the fight against the gypsy moth. 

 Since then other foreign pests have appeared, including the brown- 

 tail and leopard moths, the elm-leaf beetle and the San Jose 

 scale, so that the money actually expended in one year by State 

 and national governments, towns and cities, associations, etc., 

 for the suppression of these insects in Massachusetts has reached 

 the tremendous sum of $750,000 in one year (1913). Therefore 

 it seems not improbable that all the insect pests of Massachu- 

 setts cost the people $9,000,000 in 1913. Dr. Fernald writes 

 that he would not be surprised if the cost should prove to be at 

 least as much as that. It is now well known that birds eat 

 quantities of many of the most destructive insect pests, including 

 the gypsy moth, the brown-tail moth, the elm-leaf beetle and the 

 leopard moth. The last, which has destroyed many highly valued 

 fruit and shade trees in Boston, Cambridge and other cities, 

 makes no progress and does no appreciable damage in rural 

 districts, where native birds are plentiful. 



About fifty species of birds feed on the gypsy moth and the 

 brown-tail moth. These birds must be protected and increased 

 if possible. Instances have been recorded where flocks of cedar 

 waxwings have freed many elms from the leaf beetle. Every bird 

 that is useful in destroying all these insects is found on the list 

 of the cats' victims. 



Insect Pests eaten by Birds. 



Following is a list of some of the most destructive insect pests 

 that are eaten in great numbers by some birds that the cat com- 

 monly kills. 



