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  Hylohius 
  ahietis, 
  a 
  dangerous 
  forest 
  pest 
  ; 
  the 
  carrion 
  crow 
  {Corvus 
  

   corone), 
  starling, 
  partridge, 
  etc., 
  also 
  feed 
  on 
  it. 
  The 
  grub 
  of 
  the 
  

   cockchafer 
  is 
  a 
  general 
  delicacy 
  and 
  one 
  much 
  appreciated 
  by 
  the 
  

   crow 
  and 
  starling, 
  and 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  proved 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  prey 
  of 
  birds 
  which 
  

   are 
  not 
  at 
  all 
  suspected 
  of 
  seeking 
  after 
  it, 
  such 
  as 
  the 
  common 
  buzzard, 
  

   the 
  green 
  woodpecker 
  {Picus 
  viridis) 
  and 
  the 
  cuckoo 
  {Cuculus 
  canorus). 
  

   Grasshoppers 
  are 
  a 
  favourite 
  food 
  of 
  practically 
  all 
  birds, 
  and 
  

   investigation 
  shows 
  that 
  this 
  applies 
  in 
  a 
  large 
  measure 
  to 
  the 
  earwig 
  ; 
  

   while 
  the 
  mole-cricket 
  is 
  also 
  a 
  general 
  victim, 
  and 
  even 
  the 
  eagle 
  owl 
  

   (Strix 
  bubo) 
  pursues 
  it. 
  All 
  the 
  smaller 
  birds 
  devour 
  the 
  oak 
  Tortrix 
  

   (T. 
  viridana). 
  The 
  larch 
  miner 
  {Coleophora 
  laricella, 
  Hb.) 
  appears 
  to 
  

   exercise 
  a 
  very 
  great 
  attraction 
  for 
  the 
  smaller 
  birds, 
  among 
  which 
  the 
  

   cole 
  tit 
  takes 
  first 
  place 
  in 
  this 
  respect. 
  Some 
  surprising 
  results 
  have 
  

   been 
  obtained 
  in 
  Austria. 
  On 
  one 
  occasion 
  the 
  crop 
  of 
  a 
  wood-pigeon 
  

   contained 
  674 
  pupae 
  of 
  Tortrix 
  murinana. 
  Besides 
  these, 
  which 
  were 
  

   counted, 
  there 
  was 
  a 
  remainder 
  estimated 
  at 
  about 
  300. 
  This 
  discovery 
  

   was 
  followed 
  by 
  that 
  of 
  122 
  in 
  a 
  cole 
  titmouse 
  ; 
  200 
  and 
  300 
  in 
  two 
  

   missel-thrushes 
  ; 
  and 
  53 
  in 
  a 
  blackcap. 
  Those 
  insects 
  which 
  attack 
  

   timber 
  are 
  naturally 
  of 
  special 
  interest 
  in 
  forestry. 
  Here 
  again 
  birds 
  

   are 
  very 
  active. 
  The 
  larger 
  spotted 
  woodpecker 
  {Picus 
  major) 
  seeks 
  

   after 
  the 
  Longicorns, 
  Saperda 
  populnea 
  and 
  Tetropium 
  castaneum, 
  the 
  

   big 
  bark-beetle 
  (Dendroctonus 
  micans), 
  and 
  the 
  larva 
  of 
  the 
  leopard 
  

   moth 
  (Zeuzera). 
  Passing 
  to 
  the 
  nun 
  moth 
  (Lymantria 
  monacha, 
  L.), 
  

   Dendrolimus 
  pini, 
  L., 
  and 
  other 
  serious 
  forest 
  pests, 
  the 
  author 
  

   remarks 
  that 
  the 
  starling 
  is 
  not 
  always 
  to 
  be 
  rehed 
  upon 
  as 
  a 
  means 
  of 
  

   control, 
  but 
  in 
  many 
  instances 
  this 
  bird 
  has 
  cleared 
  infected 
  areas 
  

   thoroughly 
  and 
  quickly. 
  The 
  foresters 
  of 
  the 
  See 
  Estate, 
  in 
  Prussian 
  

   Oberlausitz, 
  consider 
  that 
  the 
  distribution 
  of 
  600 
  starling-boxes 
  in 
  

   their 
  woods 
  once 
  saved 
  these 
  from 
  the 
  nun 
  moth, 
  while 
  neighbouring 
  

   properties 
  were 
  damaged. 
  It 
  was 
  also 
  noticed 
  that 
  in 
  those 
  places 
  

   where 
  the 
  boxes 
  were 
  fewest, 
  the 
  traces 
  of 
  the 
  insect 
  were 
  seen 
  the 
  

   earliest. 
  But 
  the 
  cuckoo 
  is 
  the 
  regular 
  and 
  most 
  formidable 
  enemy 
  

   of 
  the 
  nun 
  moth. 
  A 
  good 
  example 
  of 
  its 
  activity 
  is 
  reported 
  by 
  Altum, 
  

   who 
  states 
  that 
  in 
  15 
  days 
  about 
  100 
  cuckoos 
  absolutely 
  cleaned 
  out 
  

   what 
  threatened 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  dangerous 
  centre 
  of 
  infestation. 
  The 
  much- 
  

   abused 
  jay 
  (Garrulus 
  glandarius) 
  also 
  preys 
  unceasingly 
  on 
  the 
  nun 
  

   moth, 
  caterpillars, 
  pupae, 
  and 
  egg-bearing 
  females 
  of 
  which 
  are 
  found 
  

   in 
  its 
  stomach 
  even 
  at 
  times 
  when 
  the 
  pest 
  is 
  thought 
  to 
  be 
  quite 
  in 
  

   abeyance. 
  Such 
  finds 
  are 
  naturally 
  a 
  practical 
  guide 
  to 
  the 
  forester. 
  

   The 
  cuckoo 
  is 
  singular 
  in 
  its 
  taste 
  for 
  the 
  processionary 
  caterpillar, 
  

   which 
  it 
  devours 
  with 
  avidity, 
  while 
  other 
  birds 
  strictly 
  avoid 
  it. 
  

   Indeed 
  it 
  is 
  beheved 
  to 
  have 
  nipped 
  in 
  the 
  bud 
  infestations 
  which 
  showed 
  

   every 
  promise 
  of 
  rapidly 
  spreading 
  to 
  a 
  ruinous 
  extent. 
  Though 
  

   a 
  very 
  great 
  number 
  of 
  birds 
  decimate 
  the 
  caterpillars 
  of 
  Dendrolimus 
  

   pini, 
  yet 
  here 
  again 
  the 
  cuckoo 
  distinguishes 
  itself 
  above 
  all 
  others. 
  

   The 
  golden 
  oriole 
  (Oriolus 
  galbula) 
  and 
  the 
  jay 
  are 
  also 
  useful 
  in 
  this 
  

   respect, 
  and 
  one 
  instance 
  is 
  particularly 
  reported 
  where 
  the 
  former 
  

   effectually 
  checked 
  the 
  ravages 
  of 
  the 
  caterpillars 
  when 
  they 
  appeared 
  

   in 
  spring. 
  In 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  most 
  sawflies 
  it 
  again 
  occurs 
  that 
  the 
  cuckoo 
  

   is 
  nearly 
  always 
  the 
  sole 
  enemy 
  of 
  the 
  larvae 
  when 
  the 
  latter 
  are 
  feeding. 
  

   When 
  later 
  on 
  they 
  are 
  in 
  their 
  cocoons, 
  other 
  birds 
  seek 
  them 
  out. 
  

   In 
  a 
  smaU 
  birch 
  wood 
  which 
  had 
  been 
  nearly 
  stripped 
  by 
  Croesus 
  

   septentrionalis, 
  17 
  cuckoos 
  appeared 
  and 
  cleared 
  off 
  all 
  the 
  larvae. 
  

  

  