BIRDS, CATERPILLARS, AND PLANT LICE. 125 



with the small twigs of the oaks. On looking at them after the birds 

 were gone I found small scales on the twigs. The birds also took plant 

 lice from the under sides of the birch leaves, four larvas that looked like 

 cankerworms, and three gipsy larvas. A Red-eyed Vireo came four dif- 

 ferent times, taking each time respectively seven, three, twelve, and 

 fifteen gipsy larvas. Besides these, he took plant lice and other insects 

 from the leaves and bark. Yellow -throated Vireos were coming and 

 going constantly, and I could not distinguish between them. They 

 were eating plant lice and insects from the bark and leaves. I saw 

 them eat thirty -two gipsy larvas. I heard a commotion among the 

 Robins that have a nest a short distance away. On going to the spot, 

 I found a Crow in the act of carrying away one of the young birds. 

 Probably he came later and took the remainder of the young, for the nest 

 was empty when I returned. I changed my position to the edge of the 

 woods. A pair of Bobolinks that are living in the fields nearby came 

 to the birches and picked plant lice for over half an hour, then a move- 

 ment on my part frightened them away. The Orioles were busy taking 

 the plant lice, and several times the male went to the tent caterpillars' 

 nest and ate them. I saw them eat over forty of the gipsy caterpillars, 

 that I was sure of, in the hour they were in sight. There were Che- 

 winks, Least Flycatchers, Redstarts, Scarlet Tanagers, Brown Thrushes, 

 Wood Thrushes, and one Red-winged Blackbird that were feeding, but 

 I could not see plainly what they were feeding on. 



May 28, 1898. — A Black-billed Cuckoo went to an oak tree and ate 

 thirty-six forest tent caterpillars inside of five minutes. Its nest was 

 near by, with two eggs, and both birds were carrying the withering 

 blossoms of the oak and poplar to line it. The Black and White War- 

 blers were eating forest tent caterpillars, cankerworms, and other larvse, 

 besides plant lice. I could not see them for more than a moment at 

 a time, but when seen they were continually eating. They were also 

 picking insects from the crevices of the bark. The Rose-breasted Gros- 

 beaks were eating plant lice and the gall insects from the galls on the 

 oak leaves. The Red-eyed Vireos were eating plant lice, forest tent 

 caterpillars, cankerworms, and other larvse that I could not determine. 

 From one oak tree the Red-eyed Vireos took ninety-two forest tent 

 caterpillars in an hour. The Purple Finches were eating plant lice in the 

 tops of the birches, but were so wild that their habits could not be 

 observed. ... A Red-winged Blackbird perched for a moment in the 

 birches, and ate the plant lice while there. A pair of Catbirds have a 

 nest near the grove, and they would both perch in the branches and pick 

 the plant lice for an hour at a time. The Tanagers confined themselves 

 almost wholly to the oaks, taking larvas from the leaves. One took 

 seven forest tent caterpillars from a mass on a branch. The Redstarts 

 were equally as industrious as the Yellow -throats, 1 but they did not con- 



* See Mr. Mosher's report regarding these Yellow-throats, on p. 62. 



