28 



bier {Dendroica virens) ^ pine warbler (Dendroica vigorsii), house 

 wren (Troglodytes cedon), American redstart (SetopJiaga ruticilla), 

 Nashville warbler {Helmintlioijliila rujicajyilla) , golden-winged war- 

 bler {Helminthophila chrysoptera) , scarlet tanager (Piranga erythro- 

 onelas), rose-breasted grosbeak {Habia ludoviciana), Baltimore 

 oriole (Icterus galbida), blue-jay (Cyanocitta cristata), least fly- 

 catcher (Eni2)idonax miiiimus), wood pewee (Contopus virens), 

 phcebe (Savornis p/ifK&e), kingbird (Tyrannus tyranmis), and 

 downy woodpecker (Dryohates puhescens). 



It was noticeable that early in the season, when the webs of the 

 tent caterpillar first appeared on the apple and cherry trees, the 

 orioles attacked them and devoured a considerable number of the 

 hairy young larvae. A little later, when the canker-worms became 

 more numerous, it seemed as if all the birds in the neighborhood 

 were intent on eating canker-worms, neglecting to a certain extent 

 the hairy caterpillars. The cuckoos, however, seemed to feed 

 impartially on both the canker-worm and the tent caterpillar. 



Uirds from all quarters in the wood and swamp, orchard and 

 field, flocked into the trees infested by canker-worms, and there 

 spent a considerable portion of their time. In a short time the 

 few canker-worms remaining in the old orchard were apparently 

 eaten by birds, and the birds then directed their attention to the 

 neighboring orchards, which were swarming with the worms. It 

 soon became evident that these orchards would be entirely stripped 

 of their leaves, while the old orchard retained its full foliage. 

 Thus it was seen that the trees to which the chickadees had been 

 lured during the winter had been so well protected that the summer 

 birds were able to destroy the few remaining larvae, while the trees 

 at a distance from these contained so many larvae that the birds 

 were not numerous enough to dispose of them or to make any 

 effective reduction in their numbers. This apparently demon- 

 strated the usefulness or the egg-destroying winter birds, and 

 showed the wisdom of attracting them to the orchard during the 

 winter months. Not only did nearly all species of birds in the 

 neighborhood flock to the trees infested by the canker-worms, but 

 the chickadees living in their retirement in the woods came out to 

 the orchards, flying some distance to procure canker-worms with 

 which to feed their young, and making regular trips to the infested, 

 trees day after day. 



On May 18 Mr. Bailey saw a female chickadee carry twenty 

 larvai to its nest. They were apparently all canker-worms but 

 two, which were tent caterpillars. Of this he is certain, for he 

 was within three yards of the nest to which the larvie were taken. 

 Later, on May 31, he noticed the chickadees feeding their young. 



