14 



scavenger beetles, which possibly ac- 

 counts for the small proportion of these 

 forms found in stomachs examined 



In the first order the cuckoo, though 

 considered a suspicious character because 

 of his quiet gliding movements and re- 

 tiring disposition, is nevertheless entire- 

 ly insectivorous and one of the most 

 beneficial species. His diet shows a de- 

 cided preference for the larvae of the 

 tussoc moth and those hairy caterpillars 

 so destructive to trees and shrubs, and 

 which because of their hairy covering are 

 abided by most birds. I have found 

 the cuckoo's stomach jammed with these 

 hairy caterpillars and the coating pierced 

 through and through with the needle-like 

 hairs. Yet it did not seem to inconven- 

 ience the bird. 



During the Tent caterpillar pest in 

 1894-5 through Ontario I found the 

 cuckoo very numerous and industrious 

 in his work of destruction among them. 

 Assistant Ornithologist Beale of the 

 U. S. Biological Survey, reports in the 

 examination of 16 stomachs taken dur- 

 ing summer months 328 caterpillars, 11 

 beetles, 15 grasshoppers, 63 saw flies 

 and 7 other insects. More may have 

 been contained, but were too badly brok- 

 en to allow of identification. Most of 

 the caterpillars were hairy and belonged 

 to those genuses which live in colonies 

 and feed upon leaves of fruit trees, while 

 one stomach was completely filled with 

 the Tent caterpillars. The beetles were 

 all click beetles and weevils. 



This is in itself a record worthy of 

 our highest admiration and protection. 



Of the order pici or woodpeckers, the 

 construction is in every way adapted for 

 insect destruction. 

 Working among the 

 tree trunks they are 

 about the hiding 

 places of many injur- 

 ious wood and grain- 

 destroying species. In 

 almost every species 

 of this group three- 

 fourths of the entire 

 food is shown to be 

 wood boring beetles 

 and caterpillars, while 

 with the higholder 

 the favorite diet is 

 ants, which it takes 



mr ! n£ y«°^n eC £ e c r \ fr0m the hillS 0tl the 



(Dryobates villosus.) , . 



ground. As ants are 



known to assist in the 



increase of the aphides or plant lice, their 



removal is beneficial. 



The red-head is accused of damaging 



and stealing fruit, but as he is not nu- 

 merous enough 

 in Manitoba to 

 materially af- 

 fect us we need 

 not discuss him 

 a t length, s o 

 that locally the 

 group presents 

 the strongest 

 claims to our 

 protection a s 

 the only agents 

 able to keep in 

 check many of 

 the insect ene- 

 mies of the for- 

 ests. 



The goatsuck- Red . hea ded Woodpecker, 

 ersare a group (Melanerpes 



which feed en- erythrocephalus.) 



tirely upon in- 

 sect life. All their food is taken on the 

 wing and consists of smaller and more 

 obnoxious hymenoptera and diptera with 

 moth or bettle that happen along, and I 

 know of nothing but a unanimous feel- 

 ing in their favor. 



With passeres the order is so large 

 and the families so varied that there ex- 

 ists more diversity of opinion and the 

 families must therefore be considered 

 separately. 

 The name flycatcher is in itself evi- 

 dence of the insec- 

 tivorous character 

 of the group, and 

 I hear no opposi- 

 tion regading 

 their beneficial 

 qualities save that 

 against the king- 

 bird the charge of 

 destroying honey 

 bees or driving out 

 smaller birds. The 

 latter accusation I 

 consider a libel 

 straight, since the 

 kingbird is not an- 

 tagonistic save to 

 his enemies, and who among ourselves 

 " love our enemies. " The charge of 

 bee-stealing has been investigated and 

 not the most meagre evidence in its 

 substantiation has been secured. I cer- 

 tainly never found a honey bee in the 

 stomach of a kingbird, while all investi- 

 gation shows that the majority of his 

 food consists of May beetles, weevils, 

 click beetles, wild bees, ants, grasshop- 

 pers, crickets, plant bugs and robber flies 

 which are a parasite on the honey bee. 



Kingbird. 

 (Tyrannus tyrannus.) 



