I02 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



ounces of food daily, while an adult needs 8 ounces. Birds, on 

 account of their great mobility, are admirably fitted to con- 

 centrate their attacks upon outbreaks of leaf-feeding cater- 

 pillars. Repeated observations by competent naturalists have 

 shown that this frequently occurs in nature. The reckless 

 and criminal slaughter of these beneficial forms in recent years 

 is beginning to have its eft'ect upon animal and vegetable life 

 and we are just commencing to harvest the results. The in- 

 discriminate destruction of bird life should be checked at once 

 by prohibiting promiscuous shooting, by suppressing egg de- 

 struction or egg collection by boys, by doing away with cats 

 so far as possible and by keeping hawks, crows and jays within 

 bound. Some attention should also be given to rendering local 

 conditions more attractive to birds. The adoption of such 

 measures, we believe, would have a most important influence 

 in checking the above mentioned and similar outbreaks. This 

 would not mean large expenditures and, if generally supported, 

 would do much toward repopulating the country with its nor- 

 mal quota of birds and thus in large measure restoring the balance 

 of nature. Owing to the extensive areas infested and the com- 

 paratively low price of wood and its products, we can hardly hope 

 for the adoption of other methods for some years to come. More 

 extended discussions of this insect have been given by the writer in 

 the 23d ^ and 24th ^ reports. 



Spruce bud moth (Tortrix fumiferana Clem.) . The 

 past season was noteworthy because of an unusual flight in late July, 

 of the small, brown moths belonging to this species. These insects 

 were sufiiciently abundant to attract local notice in Albany, Utica, 

 Rome, Auburn, Syracuse, Geneva, Batavia, Binghamton, Ithaca, 

 Olean, Boonville and doubtless many other localities. This insect 

 is well known as a serious enemy of spruce. It was considered by 

 Dr Packard as one of the most destructive enemies of this valuable 

 tree in certain portions of Maine. The unusual abundance of this 

 insect over such a large territory is undoubtedly due to favorable 

 climatic or other conditions and may possibly be followed by a 

 serious injury another season. It may be that this general record 

 is to be explained by the earlier flight of the snow-white linden 

 moth drawing attention to^ other insects and resulting in many ob- 

 servations oif phenomena which otherwise might have passed un- 

 recorded. 



' N. Y. State Mus. Bui. 124. 1908. p. 23-28. 

 ^ N. Y. State Mus. Bui. 134. 1909. p. 51-54. 



