114 



boll worms are beins^ sought. Probably in most instances it is simply 

 feeding on the soft, milky kernels, and the destruction of bollworms 

 is more or less accidental. According to Dr. C. Hart Merriam, of 

 this Department, bollworms were found in the stomach of the great- 

 tailed grackle {Megaquiscaliis major macroiirus). Mr. Glover ^ records 

 an instance of the common kingbird or bee martin (Tyramm^ tyranniis) 

 catching a bollworm moth, and also mentions that boll worm moths 

 formed part of the daily diet of some young mockingbirds, as evi- 

 denced by the dismembered wings on the ground beneath the nest. 

 Mr. L. N. Bouham^ records "blackbirds" as feeding on bollworms in 

 Ohio during a period of drought. While the birds were not actually 

 observed with the insects, the evidence presented is strong that the 

 larvae were being extracted from the ears of corn in the field in which 

 the birds had settled. 



Although direct evidence of the usefulness of birds in destroying 

 bollworms is meager, yet it is practically certain that many common 

 farm birds destro}^ these among other injurious farm and orchard 

 insects. For practical as well as sesthetic reasons, therefore, they 

 should be protected and encouraged as much as possible. 



Reference may here be made to the considerable service rendered 

 by barnyard fowls in destroying insects. Chickens and turkeys have 

 at different times been observed feeding on bollworms. In one case 

 an individual turkey of a large flock in an alfalfa field was observed 

 to pick up twent}^ larvae in one minute by the watch, and the distended 

 crops of the turkeys of the entire flock gave evidence of the destruc- 

 tion of a large number of bollworms. 



The following list of birds occurring in and about cotton fields in 

 Texas was kindly furnished b}^ Doctor Merriam. Those species likely 

 to feed on bollworms, as indicated b}^ Professor Beal, are marked with 

 an asterisk. 



* Bob white {Colinus virginianus and Colinus v. texanus). 

 Mourning dove { Zenaidura macroura) . 



* Mississippi kite {Iciinia mississippiensis). 

 ^Sparrow hawk {Falco sparverius). 



* Yellow-billed cuckoo ( Coccyzus americanus). 



Red -headed woodpecker {Melanerpes erythrocephalus) . 

 Red-bellied woodpecker {Centurus carolinus). 

 Flicker {Colaptes auratns luteus). 

 Scissor-tailed flycatcher {Muscivora forficata) . 

 Kingbird {Tyrannus tyrannus). 

 Crested flycatcher {Myiarchus crinitus). 



* Blue jay ( Cyanocitta cristata). 



* Crow ( Corvus hrachyrhynchos) . 

 ■'^Cowbird [Molothrus ater). 



■'^ Red- winged blackbird {Agelaius phoeniceus) . 



a Monthly Report, 1866, p. 285. & Insect Life, II, p. 47. 



