﻿2 Birds 



largely upon thern, and jays will also eat them ; these larvae are 

 likewise mostly of black and yellow colouring, and the same applies 

 to the brightly coloured caterpillar of the lackey moth (Bombyx 

 neustria), which is striped with slaty-blue, rufous and black, 

 one of the worst pests of orchards. Cuckoos, jays, and 

 green woodpeckers feed upon these larvae, and daily haunt trees 

 infested with them. Although the Large and Small Cabbage 

 White butterflies (Pieris brassicse and P. rapse) are so similiar in 

 appearance, except in size, and the larvae of both species feed on 

 the different varieties of cabbage and other cruciferous plants, yet 

 the larvae are very dissimilar in both habits and appearance. The 

 two species also differ in the manner of egg-laying; the Large 

 Cabbage White deposits its eggs in batches varying in number 

 from about 40 to 100 or more in a group, usually on the underside of 

 a leaf, but often on the upper surface, and the larvae are gregarious, 

 while the Small Cabbage White lays its eggs singly, generally only 

 one or two on the same plant and invariably on the under surface 

 only. Being solitary, this caterpillar does little harm in comparison 

 with that of the Large White. It is uniformly green, with an 

 inconspicuous stripe along each side composed of small yellow 

 markings, whereas the larva of the Large White is grey-green 

 with three conspicuous longitudinal bright yellow stripes, and the 

 body covered with shining black points, each carrying a fine bristle. 

 These very conspicuous caterpillars are rejected by nearly all 

 birds, while those of the Small White are eaten readily by all. 



Among the many pests destructive to agriculture the chief are 

 wire- worms (larvae of the click-beetles), leather- jackets (larvae of 

 the crane-fly or daddy-long-legs), and the grubs of the common 

 cockchafer. All three species feed upon the roots of various 

 plants, and without the aid of certain birds these pests would 

 increase to such an alarming extent that they would soon 

 completely ruin crops and lay waste the whole country. The birds 

 which render the greatest service in keeping these pests under are 

 the pheasant, rook, starling, lapwing and black-headed gull. The 

 last two birds are also most beneficial in destroying immense 

 numbers of slugs, which constitute a large proportion of their diet. 

 Although the Little Owl (Athene noctua), introduced into this 

 country over thirty years ago, is generally looked upon as 

 destructive to game, it is undoubtedly a beneficial bird to the 

 agriculturist, as its chief food consists of various mice and 



