NATURAL ENEMIES oi- TIIK ( '< >< VI D.K : BIRDS. 



this Coccid. With the aid of good binoculars I have 

 also seen the tree creeper (Oerthia farfiiliaris) and the 

 marsh titmouse (Punt* palustris) readily pick off the 

 insects from apple trees in the gardens of the Chester 

 neighbourhood. The removal of the scales invariably 

 leaves a white mark or scar on the bark. Such marks 

 are usually met with in colonies- of these and other 

 Diaspinas, etc., and to me are sure indications that 

 the scales which originally covered them had been 

 removed by birds. 



ChionaxjH'x W/Y/x. Common to the willow and ash, 

 and sparingly met with on other trees. In summer 

 the female puparium is conspicuous for its whiteness 

 (PI. D, fig. 1 A), but as winter approaches it dark- 

 ens, until eventually it resembles very closely both 

 the colour and texture of the bark of its food-plant. 

 This is particularly not ierable on t he ash. before the 

 colonies become overcrowded. It not (infrequently 

 happens, however, that the sombre-coloured scale 

 the females are completely hidden beiieat h t he hordes of 

 conspicuous white scales of the males (I'l. 1), fig. 1 i;). 

 hi winter these latter are empty, and might reasonably 

 be supposed to afford t he female scales a certain amount 

 of protection, but I do not find this to be so. Every- 

 where the tits find out the female " scales," and devour 

 them together with the females and 6ggS. One fre- 

 quently finds the large colonies of these insects reduced 

 to comparatively small numbers: indeed, SO extensively 

 are they attacked that it is exceptional to find a colony 

 untouched by the birds. In (lieshirel have frequently 

 observed the marsh titmouse (1'tn-n* palustris) feeding 

 upon this Coccid, and I have little hesitation in saying 

 that other members of the family do the same. One 

 other feature worthy of comment is that the more a 

 colony of this and the preceding species is robbed by 

 birds the more conspicuous does the site become, owing 

 to the mass of white scars left behind, and these 

 latter may attract the little feathered migrants as they 

 pass from place to place in search for food. 



