No. 4.] BIRDS ON THE FARM. 139 



of the beet worms was coincident with the appearance of 

 the chipping sparrows among the plants, and that the longer 

 the birds worked there the fewer beet worms could be found. 

 These sparrows were commonly to be seen going up and 

 down the rows, feeding among the plants in the garden 

 where table beets were grown . Other birds of this species 

 Avere also observed in the field among the stock beets or 

 mangel wurtzels. 



One day, b}^ creeping along the ground between the rows, 

 I was enabled to get very close to a chipping sparrow which 

 was feeding there. It was passing among the plants search- 

 ins: somewhat among the stems, from which it took small in- 

 sects, but mainlv sjettino- its food from the infested leaves. 

 By moving ver}^ cautiously, I was able to follow it for a 

 hundred yards along the rows. It could be plainly seen 

 taking something from the leaves. It touched none but the 

 infested leaves. In each case when the bird had passed the 

 leaf was freshh' punctured, and the worm was missing. 

 The little bird found it necessar}^ in many cases to use its 

 wings to reach the worm, but never failed to get it. Ap- 

 parently eleven of these worms were secured in a few 

 minutes, and several other small insects Avere taken. Hav- 

 ing watched these birds through one long sunnuer, I have 

 little doubt that their presence saved the beet crop from 

 destruction, or at least from a serious reduction. 



The imported destructive pea louse (jVectarophora pisi) 

 having been very prevalent in 1900, we were prepared for 

 its appearance in the spring of 1901. The lice appeared as 

 expected, but failed to increase as heretofore. One morn- 

 ing 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 the 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 with the lice in xVugust. 

 These peas were one-eighth of a mile from wheie the earlj^ 

 peas were planted, and in a locality not ordinarilv frequented 

 by the chipping sparrow ; but the birds soon found them, 



