BIRDS, CATERPILLARS, AND PLANT LICE. 125 



with the small twigs of the oaks. On looking at them after the birds 

 were gone I found small scales on the twigs. The birds also took plant 

 lice from the under sides of the birch leaves, four larva? that looked like 

 eankerworms, and three gipsy larvte. A Red-eyed Yireo came four dif- 

 ferent times, taking each time resijectively seven, three, twelve, and 

 fifteen gipsy larva-. IJesides these, he took plant lice and other insects 

 from the leaves and bark. Yellow-throated Yireos were coming and 

 going constantly, and I could not distinguish between them. They 

 were eating plant lice and insects from the bark and leaves. I saw 

 them eat thirty -two gipsy larvae. I heard a commotion among the 

 Robins that have a nest a short distance away. On going to the spot, 

 I found a Crow in the act of carrying away one of the young birds. 

 Probably he came later and took the remainder of the young, for the nest 

 was empty when I returned. I changed my ijosition to the edge of the 

 w^oods. A jjair of Bobolinks that are living in the fields near by came 

 to the birches and picked plant lice for over half an hour, then a move- 

 ment on my part frightened them away. The Orioles were busy taking 

 the plant lice, and several times the male went to the tent catei'pillai's' 

 nest and ate them. I saw them eat over forty of the gipsy caterpillars, 

 that I was sure of, in the hour they were in sight. There Avere Che- 

 winks, Least Flycatchers, Redstarts, Scarlet Tanagers, Brown Thrushes, 

 AYood Thrushes, and one Red- winged Blackbird that were feeding, but 

 I could not see plainly what they were feeding on. 



May 28, 1898. — A Black-billed Cuckoo went to an oak tree and ate 

 thirty-six forest tent caterpillars inside of five minutes. Its nest was 

 near by, Avith two eggs, and both birds were carrying the Avithering 

 blossoms of the oak and poplar to line it. The Black and White War- 

 blers Avere eating forest tent caterpillars, cankerAvorms, and other larvse, 

 besides jilant lice. I could not see them for more than a moment at 

 a time, but Avhen seen they Avere continually eating. They wex"e also 

 picking insects from the crevices of the bark. The Rose-breasted Gros- 

 beaks Avere eating jilant lice and the gall insects from the galls on the 

 oak leaves. The Red-eyed Yireos Avere eating plant lice, forest tent 

 caterjnllars, cankerAVorms, and other larA'03 that I could not deteiunine. 

 From one oak tree the Red-eyed Yireos took ninety-tAVO forest tent 

 caterpillars in an hour. The Purple Finches were eating plant lice in the 

 tops of the birches, but Avere so Avild that their habits could not be 

 observed. ... A Red-Avinged Blackbird perched for a moment in the 

 birches, and ate the plant lice while there. A pair of Catbirds have a 

 nest near the grove, and they Avould both perch in the branches and pick 

 the plant lice for an hour at a time. The Tanagers confined themselves 

 almost Avholly to the oaks, taking larvae from the leaves. One took 

 seven forest tent caterpillars from a mass on a l)ranch. The Redstarts 

 Avere equally as industrious as the YelloAv-throats,^ but they did not con- 



* See Mr. Mosher's rejiort regarding tliese Yellow-throats, on p. 62. 



