8 OUR VANISHING SHOREBIRDS. 



about 1,500 feet away), but I did see them many times make faithful 

 search of my garden for cutworms, spotted squash bugs, and green 

 flies. Cutworms and cabbage worms were their especial prey. After 

 the young could fly, they still kept at work in my garden, and showed 

 no inclination to go to the shore until about August 15. They and 

 a flock of quails just over the wall helped me wonderfully." 



In the uncultivated parts of their range also, shorebirds search out 

 and destroy many creatures that are detrimental to man's interest. 

 Several species prey upon the predaceous diving beetles (Dytiscidse), 

 which are a nuisance in fish hatcheries and which destroy many in- 

 sects, the natural food of fishes. The birds now known to take these 

 beetles are : 



Northern phalarope (Lobipcs lobatus). Dowitclier (Macrorhamphus griseus). 



Wilson phalarope (Steganopus tri- Robin snipe (Tringa canutus). 



color). Pectoral sandpiper (Pisobia maculata). 



Avocet (Recuruirostra americana). Red-backed sandpiper (Pclidna alpina 



Black-necked stilt (Himantopus mem- xakhaJina). 



canus ) . Killdeer ( Oxycchus vocifcrus ) . 

 Jacksnipe (GalUnago delicata). 



Large numbers of marine worms of the genus Nereis, which prey 

 upon oysters, are eaten by shorebirds. These Avorms are common on 

 both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts and are eaten by shorebirds where- 

 ever they occur. It is not uncommon to find that from 100 to 250 of 

 them have been eaten at one meal. The birds known to feed upon 

 them are: 



Northern phalarope (Lobipcs lobatus). White-rumped sandpiper (PisoUa fus~ 



Dowitcher (Macrorhamphus griseus). cicolUs). 



Stilt sandpiper (Micropalama himan- Red-backed sandpiper (Pclidna alpina 



topus). MikJialhia). 



Robin snipe (Tringa canutus). Killdeer (Oxycchus vocifcrus). 

 Purple sandpiper (Arquatella inai-i- 



tima). 



The economic record of the shorebirds deserves nothing but praise. 

 These birds injure no crop, but on the contrary feed upon many of 

 the worst enemies of agriculture. It is worth recalling that their 

 diet includes such pests as the Rocky Mountain locust and other inju- 

 rious grasshoppers, the army worm, cutworms, cabbage worms, cotton 

 worm, cotton cutworm, boll weevil, clover leaf weevil, clover root 

 curculio, rice weevil, corn bill-bugs, wireworms, corn leaf -beetles, cu- 

 cumber beetles, white grubs, and such foes of stock as the Texas fever 

 tick, horseflies, and mosquitoes. Their warfare on crayfishes must 

 not be overlooked, nor must we forget the more personal debt of 

 gratitude we owe them for preying upon mosquitoes. They are the 

 most important bird enemies of these pests known to us. 



