BIRDS, CATERPILLARS, AND PLANT LICE. 129 
came about the same time as the Blackbirds, but I saw it for only a 
short time; it took caterpillars and pups. There were four Red-eyed 
Vireos, but I saw them take only one caterpillar, and they were in the 
place all the: time that I was. There were also six Downy Wood- 
peckers, but I did not see them take any caterpillars or pup. <A brood 
of Chickadees was there all the time, and they took caterpillars and pup 
of the gipsy moth and some kind of a green caterpillar. They took all 
their food from near the ground, and would pick the pupz and cater- 
pillars open before eating them. There was a nest of the American 
Redstart, and the tree had been stripped of leaves by the caterpillars. 
There were four young birds in the nest. I saw the old birds take but 
one very small gipsy moth caterpillar to the young, but they would pick 
the large ones off the nest and drop them to the ground very often.! 
There were no pups near the nest that I could see. Two Robins 
came to the colony very often to get food for their young. I could not 
tell how many they took with them each time, but should judge from 
the cluster of caterpillars in the bill that there were as many as six. 
The Robins took all the caterpillars from near the ground or from the 
ground. I did not look for the Robins’ nest, but could see the birds go 
one hundred and twenty-five yards to a large maple tree, and I think 
the nest was in this tree. One Blue Jay came, but stayed only a very 
short time. It took two caterpillars, but, as they were in the tops of 
trees, I was not sure that they were gipsy caterpillars. A brood of 
Crows (four young and two old birds) came, and stayed till I moved, 
and then left and did not come back. They came at 8 o’clock and 
stayed until almost 9. They were all in the trees directly over me for 
a long time; at times they were within ten feet of me. They would 
go to a cluster of pups and caterpillars and eat some, but drop more 
than they ate. I think they took more pups than caterpillars, but took 
a large number of caterpillars. The young birds took many more than 
the old ones. The old birds left the place for a short time, but came 
back. I think the six Crows took two hundred pupe while in sight. 
Some of the time they took them as fast as a hen would pick up corn. 
After this time most of the smaller birds neglected the 
hairy caterpillars to attack the cankerworms, which were 
then becoming very prominent. When the cankerworms 
had disappeared the larger species continued to feed on the 
gipsy moth so long as it could be obtained. 
These observations were begun rather late in the season, 
and the records kept by the observers were not very full, on 
account of the pressure of other duties, which also limited 
‘ Redstarts are among the most useful birds that eat the smaller caterpillars, 
but at this season the larva were nearly all too large for the bird to manage. 
