36 Chisholm, The White-eye : its Relation to Ovchardist. f jst^"}"] 



than all spray pumps and other mechanical devices. As 

 illustrating the " Blight-Birds' " decided usefulness with regard 

 to another insect pest, the following note may not be out of 

 place : — " 28th July, 1907. — A damp morning. White-eyes 

 plentiful in the garden, hopping up the (now) bare branches of 

 the trees, peering under the damp bark, and picking out large 

 numbers of parasitical insects, which, if left to themselves, would 

 in the end ruin the trees." 



I have also frequently watched this energetic little bird 

 feasting on some small insect (name unknown to me) which 

 causes a lot of damage among the rhubarb plants. And if this 

 were not sufficient evidence to support its claim to the friendship 

 and protection of the orchardist, it is a great enemy of the 

 codlin-moth and pear-tree slug — two of the greatest pests the 

 grower has to contend with. No doubt many more cases 

 outside my knowledge of its useful traits could be cited, but 

 these should convince any fair-minded grower of White-eye's 

 great value to him. Taking it on the whole, I can unhesitatingly 

 afifirm that (in this district, at all events) the good done by this 

 much-maligned little bird far outbalances what little damage it 

 may cause; in fact, I consider that the bird is justly entitled to 

 a little laxity in the spring and summer in return for the 

 incalculable amount of good it does during the cooler months. 



The Value of Babblers as Insect^Destroyers* 



By a. H. Chisholm, Maryborough (Vict.) 



Mr. J. A. Leach's recent timely reminder as to the extreme 

 usefulness of the Babbler, or Codlin-moth-eater {PoinatorJiimis 

 temporalis)* will be sure to meet with the approval of every 

 person who has had any experience of the bird. 



As a practical illustration of its value I may mention a case 

 that came under my notice recently. A grub, light green in 

 colour, and varying in size from half an inch to an inch and a 

 half long (probably the larva of the agrotis moth), was attacking 

 my rhubarb plants in great numbers, and bade fair to ruin the 

 whole of the plants, when my friends the Babblers took part. 

 The grubs did not come out during the day, but hid in the soft 

 earth at the foot of the plant, only coming out to feed when the 

 night fell. This fact did not deter the Babblers in the slightest 

 degree. As soon as they located the grubs the birds arrived in 

 dozens, and all day long were to be seen digging and pecking 

 with great vigour all around the plants. In a very short time, 

 where formerly there were hundreds, there was not a single grub 

 pest left — vanquished by my inexpensive allies. 



* Campbell, "Nests and Eggs," p. 272 (1900); French, Agric. Journal of 

 Victoria, p. 68 (May, 1903). 



