32 



May 12. — A rose-breasted grosbeak ate 57 caterpillars in 20 minutes. 



May 15. — A chestnut-sided warbler ate 28 caterpillars in about 12 min- 

 utes. 



May 16. — A scarlet tanager ate 44 caterpillars in 17 minutes. 



May 19. — A redstart ate 11 caterpillars within 5 minutes. 



May 19. — Two scarlet tanagers ate, one 9 and the other 16 caterpillars 

 in 4 minutes. 



May 22. — A pair of chickadees ate, one 15 and the other 21 caterpillars 

 in 7 minutes. 



May 23. — A red-eyed vireo ate 43 caterpillars in 10 minutes. 



May 23. — A blue jay ate 30 caterpillars in a very brief stay. No time 

 given. 



May 24. — A Baltimore oriole ate 34 caterpillars in 6 minutes. 



May 24. — A red-eyed vireo ate 29 caterpillars in 6 minutes. 



May 25. — A scarlet tanager ate 43 caterpillars in 12 minutes. 



May 26. — A yellow-throated vireo ate 14 caterpillars in less than 5 min- 

 utes. 



May 26. — An indigo bird ate 16 caterpillars. Time could not be accu- 

 rately taken. 



Birds Feeding on the Tent Caterpillars. 



May 9. — A golden-winged warbler ate 14 caterpillars very rapidly. 

 May 10. — A red-winged blackbird ate 22 caterpillars in 25 minutes. 

 May 10. — A Baltimore oriole ate 14 caterpillars in 6 minutes, 27 in 8 



minutes and 10 in 8 minutes. 

 May 10. — A robin ate 30 caterpillars in a trifle over 4 minutes. 

 May 10. — A black-and-white warbler ate 12 caterpillars in a very short 



time and fed for 9 minutes, though not in plain view. 

 May 11. — A Nashville warbler ate 8 caterpillars in 3 minutes. 

 May 15. — A Baltimore oriole ate 15 caterpillars from a web in a very 



short time, and 9 more 20 minutes later. 



Birds Feeding on the Forest Tent Caterpillars. 



Although the forest tent caterpillars have appeared recently in enor- 

 mous hordes in many sections of New England and some adjacent States, 

 they have not been numerous in eastern Massachusetts, and there have 

 been no such opportunities to observe birds feeding upon them as have 

 been presented with the other thi'ee species. Incidentally, however, the 

 observers have noted that birds were searching out and eating the forest 

 tent caterpillars, not merely taking them as they came in their way, but 

 where one was found they searched for others, and ate them as they 

 found them, carrying some away, presumably to their young. Fi'om 

 what has been seen there seems little doubt that all those birds which 

 eat the other hairy caterpillars would also take those of the forest tent 

 caterpillars if they were numerous. 



Birds Feeding their Young. 



During the observations made on the enemies of the gypsy moth it 

 was noted that many birds were carrying caterpillars to their young, and 

 birds were often seen to feed their young with caterpillars, which, in 

 most instances, were readily taken by the young although occasionally 

 they were rejected. 



The observations made on the tent caterpillar were mainly made be- 

 fore there were young in the bird nests, but birds feeding on the brown- 

 tail moth caterpillars frequently took them away. 



Few detailed observations have been made as yet at the nests. The 

 following birds have been seen carrying hairy caterpillars to their young, 

 or feeding them, or both : black-and-white warbler, blue jay, scarlet 

 tanager, wood thrush, chickadee, yellow-throated vireo, red-eyed vireo, 



