394 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



hee, brown thrush and some of the sparrows, seek for the 

 moths on the ground iu the woods, where they are enaliled 

 to conceal themselves and their eggs among the dead leaves. 

 I would recommend that an attempt be made to protect and 

 foster native birds in the Middlesex Fells reservation, and 

 that careful observations be made of the effect of this policy 

 on the gypsy moth and other injurious insects. 



It has been suggested that European birds might be im- 

 ported to destroy the eggs on the trees as well as the cater- 

 pillars upon the ground. I should not advise that this be 

 done, in the present state of our knowledge of the subject. 

 At a session of the Congress of the American Ornithologists' 

 Union, held at Cambridge, Nov. 12, 1896, this suggestion 

 w^as the subject of discussion. Among the members of the 

 union are the most eminent ornithologists in the country. 

 Dr. J. A. Allen of the American Museum of Natural His- 

 tory, New York, said there was very little accurate informa- 

 tion to be obtained on the question of the introduction of 

 birds, for no careful study had been made of the subject. 

 As a matter of opinion, however, he believed it unwise to 

 attempt the importation of birds for the purpose. He 

 thought the importation of the titmice, which are said to 

 eat the eggs of the gypsy moth in Europe, would probably 

 result in fjiilure. 



Dr. Elliot Coues of Washington said that experience had 

 demonstrated that the importation of animals from foreign 

 countries had been either costly failures or costly successes. 

 Such animals when introduced had ])ecome pests in the new 

 country, and he was strongly opposed to any' attempt at 

 introducing birds. 



Other members followed in the same strain. It seemed 

 to be the general opinion that either the imported species 

 would die out, or that, if it became numerous enough to be 

 of any assistance, it might become so numerous as to prove 

 a nuisance in some way. 



Should any study of the enemies and parasites of the gypsy 

 moth be made abroad, it would be well to investigate there 

 the influence exerted by l)irds on the increase of the moth, 

 and to observe carefully the habits of such birds as may 

 be found to feed upon the moths' eggs. In this way we 



