452 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [Dec, '07 



Birds vs. Insect. — The following letter is self-explanatory. The in- 

 sect referred to proved to be the common giant water bug or electric 

 light bug (Belostoma americana) . The predaceous habits of this insect 

 are well known. Numerous instances are recorded in literature of its 

 attacking fishes, but that it attacks birds has not, so far as I know, 

 been previously recorded. In order that this observation may be more 

 widely known, Mr. Lawrence has kindly given me permission to use his 

 letter. — Robert Matheson, 804 E. Seneca St., Ithaca, N. Y. 



Huron, South Dakota, May 17, 1907. 

 Hon. Robt. L. Slagle, 



Pres. S. D. Agricultural College, 

 Brookings, South Dakota. 



My Dear Mr. Slagle: — I have a curiosity which I am sending you 

 under separate cover and will explain the circumstances under which 

 I obtained it. 



About one o'clock to-day, the man I have working around my yard 

 came to me with a woodpecker in his hand. The special species of wood- 

 pecker I am unable to tell you; the ordinary woodpecker, or "flicker" 

 as we sometimes call it, that runs up and down trees and hunts out 

 bugs and worms, etc. The man told me, while he was standing near a 

 tree this woodpecker uttered cries of distress and fluttered and fell 

 down out of a tree near where he was standing. On picking the bird 

 up he was surprised to find a very large bug attached to the wood- 

 pecker's head. That is, the big bug had inserted its beak, or what- 

 ever it may be, into the back part of the head of the woodpecker, ap- 

 parently through the skull, and when it came to me the insect was 

 firmly attached to the woodpecker's head in that way, and was in- 

 dustriously engaged in sucking the blood or brains of the woodpecker. 

 In addition to the insertion of its beak into the back part of the skull 

 of the woodpecker, it had wrapped its several pairs of long claws 

 or legs clear around the bill of the woodpecker, holding it as in a vise. 



My hired man put his foot on the insect to make sure of killing it, 

 and we detached it from the bird and send it down to you to inquire 

 what the "animal" is, and if you know anything about the habits, if it 

 is something you people can name, and if they are in the habit of dining 

 on woodpeckers and other birds, or whether it might have been a case 

 of misplaced confidence on the part of the woodpecker, who may have 

 tackled the insect and the insect was too much for him. Whatever it 

 may be, I am quite curious to hear what your people say about it, and 

 if you are familiar with this late addition to the South Dakota products. 

 I am sending you the insect under separate cover, and if you think 

 it worthy of attention I should be glad to hear from you regarding the 

 same. Yours sincerely, 



Philip Lawrence. 



