SPECIES. 



109 



strawberries. The other beetles eaten were darkling-beetles {Ojxitrl- 

 nits), and two clo^■er weevils {S/ tones h/«j:>idultis and Pkytonomus 

 jjtinctafus). One robin had fed on the pupa of a dipterous insect and 

 two had picked up cocoons of a tineid moth. Several had destroyed 

 cutworms and army worms. Two had eaten 6 cutworms apiece. 



The robin is abundant and is most useful. It is the scourge of the 

 insects that infest the open cultivated fields of the farm. Unfortu- 

 nately it usually gets little credit for its virtues, is outlawed for vices 

 that it does not possess, and is shot in large numbers for food. 



Bluebirds {Sinlia siales, PI. XVII, fig. 1) breed but sparingly at 

 Marshall Hall on account of the persecutions of the English sparrow. 

 By twenties and thirties they visit the farm in spring, "autumn, and 

 even winter. Two birds were taken February 20, 1900, and five on the 



Fig. 41.— Robin. 



19th of the previous November. Six of these had eaten fruit, which 

 constituted rather more than half of all the food. It was composed of 

 the berries of bittersweet, woodbine, cedar, sumac, and poison ivy. 

 One had eaten 8. poison ivy berries and 2.5 cedar berries — apparently 

 a pretty large dose of stimulating drugs. All had eaten insects. 

 Their selection had fallen on such highly flavored species as ground- 

 beetles {JIarpalus), stink bugs (Pentatomidse), and other bugs, includ- 

 ing Aly3us pilosulus. One had eaten a dung-beetle {Aphodius). 

 Grasshoppers and crickets had also entered into their fare. Cater- 

 pillars, including bristly Arctiidfe and cutworms, had been the prey 

 of all. It is a pleasant duty to report that this bird, so popular 

 throughout the land, is, through its excellent work as a destroyer of 

 noxious insects, well worthy the protection and encouragement it 



