19 



[This birdl from the standpoint of the agriculturist is one of the most 

 important species on the island. It should be protected, especially at nesting 

 time, and encouraged by planting bamboos as permanent shelters along streams 

 and drainage ditches. This species should hold its own and even increase 

 largely, because of its adaptability to new conditions. The south coast 

 especially, with the present area under irrigation, * * * is very favorable 

 to the green heron, and this bird is one of the few economic species especially 

 adapted to that region. 



The Porto Rican sparrow hawk or falcon (Falco sparverius 

 loquacula) is another important enemy of the changa, the insect 

 constituting about 29 per cent of this bird's total food. It is most 

 common in the foothills. 



To encourage the birds about cane fields occasional high perches from 

 which they can watch for prey should be provided along the fences. Their 

 numbers should increase in the lowland region, as their natural food [con- 

 sisting mainly of lizards and mice, in addition to insects] is abundant and 

 easily obtained. 



Wetmore adds that although valuable insect-feeding lizards are 

 eaten by the falcon, the reptiles are so numerous that no impression 

 is made upon them, and this bird must be considered as a valuable 

 species because it feeds so largely upon the changa. 



In St. Vincent the West Indian hawk (Buteo antillarum) is re- 

 corded by Clark (12) as feeding to some extent upon the mole 

 cricket, since the lizards, its more usual food, have been so greatly 

 reduced in numbers by the mongoose. 



Domestic animals. Barnyard fowls, especially chickens, have long 

 been recognized as voracious feeders on the changa. Comparatively 

 few of the mole crickets are accessible to them, and their usefulness 

 is thereby restricted to areas which are being plowed or spaded. One 

 writer (43) records that chickens in St. Vincent are frequently killed 

 by devouring live mole crickets which burrow out of the alimentary 

 canal. At this station two native Porto Rican chickens about 2 

 months old wore fed upon corn and live changas of all stages for 

 about a week with no ill effects. 



Hogs, which are valuable in cleaning land of white grubs, are 

 not averse to devouring changas. In very badly infested areas good 

 results may be secured by turning in hogs to feed before setting out 

 the crop. 



FUNGUS AND BACTERIAL DISEASES. 



A small percentage of changas in the breeding cages died from 

 what seemed to be a fungus disease. An eighth-stage female which 

 was submitted to Dr. Alden T. Speare, m^coentomologist of the 

 Bureau of Entomology, of the United States Department of Agri- 

 culture, was found to be infected by Metarrhizium anisopliw. Even 

 under laboratory breeding conditions, which were by no means 



