29 



worm, but never failed to get it. Apparently eleven of these 

 worms were secured in a few minutes, and several other small 

 insects were taken. Having watched these birds through one 

 long summer, I have little doubt that their presence saved the 

 beet crop from a serious reduction. 

 The imported destructive pea louse was very prevalent in 



1900, and we were prepared for its appearance in the spring of 



1901. The lice appeared as expected, but failed to increase as 

 heretofore. One morning one of the boys at work in the garden 

 reported that chipping sparrows were eating the pea lice. This 

 proved true, for all through the season and also the next season 

 wherever peas were planted these birds appeared and fed on 

 these plant lice persistently, day after day, so long as they could 

 be found. A row of late peas about one hundred yards in 

 length became infested in August. These peas were one-eighth 

 of a mile from where the early peas were planted, and in a 

 locality not ordinarily frequented -by the chipping sparrow; but 

 the birds soon found them, and haunted the vines day after day, 

 until, the lice were so reduced in numbers that they did no fur- 

 ther injury. It seems probable that this habit of the "chippy" 

 is widespread, for Mr. H. W. Olds and Dr. Judd have both 

 observed it. 1 



These birds apparently rendered it unnecessary for us to 

 protect our peas from these destructive aphides. How gener- 

 ally they may have effected such a result elsewhere I have no 

 means of knowing. It is quite probable that they have borne 

 a prominent part in reducing the pea louse from a pest of the 

 first class to its present status. These birds fed on the eggs of 

 the parsley butterfly, taking most of them from the leaves of the 

 celery or parsnip plants, where they are deposited by the insect, 

 usually one in a place. The chipping sparrow also feeds on the 

 young larvae. The attentions of the "chip birds" are not by 

 any means confined to the garden. They are very useful in 

 the orchard, particularly in the destruction of caterpillars, upon 

 which their young are largely fed. They also feed in the 

 borders of woodlands, along the roadsides and in the open 

 fields. As these birds often raise two broods each season, and 



1 Bulletin No. 15, Division of Biological Survey, United States Department of Agri- 

 culture, p. 77. 



