113 



The toads examined were from 1^ to 2 inches in length, and no doubt 

 larger specimens would have had even larger capacities for bollworms. 



Another lot of toads, collected at Calvert, Tex., on the night of 

 August 13, 1903, gave the following large number of bollworms, besides 

 some other caterpillars and a few beetles: 



Table XLIY. — Stomach contents of toads from cotton field 

 at Calvert, Tex., August 13, 1903. 



Toad. Bollworms in stomach. 



No. 1. . , 23, mostly large. 

 No.2..j 21, all rather large. 

 No. 3.. 3, all large. 



On another occasion a large toad was brought into the laborator}^ 

 and fed on bollworms. It devoured six large bollworms within half 

 an hour, two moths within the next ten minutes, and was apparently 

 not yet satisfied when the supply was exhausted. 



A feeding experiment was tried on the common Texas horned toad 

 {Phry )Wsoma cornutum)^ or horned frog, as it is sometimes called. 

 The specimen in question was in a cornfield badly infested by the 

 bollworm, and seemingly on the alert in search for food. A large 

 boUworm was thrown upon the ground a foot or two away from him, 

 and it had scarceh^ uncurled itself to crawl awa}' before he perceived 

 and quickly devoured it. The same action was repeated in rapid suc- 

 cession until seven had been eaten and the animal was gorged with 

 food. The worms were just of the size which the toad might encoun- 

 ter in nature wandering about in search of a suitable place to pupate. 

 From this it would seem, quite likely that when the more conventional 

 diet of the animal (consisting almost entirel}^ of the large red "agri- 

 cultural ant") is scarce, it may turn its attention to the bollworm. 



It is very generally believed that birds exert an important influence 

 in insect control. During their nesting period particularly, large 

 numbers of insects are fed to the 3'oung, and in normal food habit 

 many species of our commoner birds are largely insectivorous. 



It is commonlv stated that various birds frequenting cot on and 

 corn fields destroy a greater or less number of bollworms along with 

 other insects. The number of species which have been actually 

 observed feeding on bollworms, however, or in which the insect has 

 been found in stomachs, is very limited. During the present investi- 

 gation but one wild bird was observed to actually catch a bollworm. 

 This was a red-bellied woodpecker {Centurus carolhms)^ which Mr. 

 Jones observed extracting a bollworm larva from an ear of field corn. 

 The red-headed Avoodpecker {21eJanerpei< cryfhrocephalus) may often 

 be seen working at the ends of roasting ears in a way to suggest that 



