46 



THE OOLOGIST. 



As an example of the first class, the 

 Yellow Warbler (Dendroica aestiva), 

 and the Northern Yellow-throat, 

 (Geothlypis trichas brachydactyla), 

 may be taken. The food of both these 

 birds is somewhat similar consisting 

 mainly of caterpillars, larvae, spiders 

 and plant lice, the last named, most 

 destructive pests are taken in great 

 quantities. 



These birds are both examples of 

 that class which inhabit trees and 

 bushes the Yellow-throat keeping to 

 damp, swampy growths, while the 

 Yellow Warbler prefers drier land. 



Although they -may not be classed 

 as highly beneficial, yet the good done 

 hy them far outweighs any harm. 



The Black and White Creeper, 

 (Mniotilta varia), is a common exam- 

 ple of a warbler which takes its food 

 from the bark of trees. It is often 

 confused with the woodpeckers from 

 its black and white markings and 

 from its habit of scrambling over the 

 bark in woodpecker fashion. Spiders, 

 ants, caterpillars and larva constitute 

 the chief articles of diet. All of these, 

 with perhaps, a few of the spiders 

 which are predaceous, excepted, may 

 be counted to its credit. 



A careful study of the feeding hab- 

 its of this bird show how thoroughly 

 the destruction of bark-inhabiting in- 

 sects is pursued and of what great 

 value this bird, in conjunction with 

 the woodpeckers, is in preserving our 

 forest trees. 



Caterpillars form a large per cent, 

 of the food of the young birds. 



A large number of warblers, a few 

 among our migrants, catch a large 

 part of their food on the wing, moths, 

 butterflies, flies and millers. The 

 Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla), is a 

 very familiar example of this class. 



The above named insects form a large 

 part of its diet. 



Mrs. Irving Bruce writes that she 

 found a nestful of Redstarts and as- 

 certained that they were fed on in- 

 sects from five to thirty times per 

 hour. The insects were caught by the 

 mother-bird on the wing and often in- 

 cluded millers. 



The Ovenbird (Leiurus arocapillus), 

 is often mistaken for a thrush and, in- 

 deed, its habit of running rapidly 

 along and then suddenly stopping and 

 straightening up in a listening atti- 

 tude, is decidedly thrush-like. Its 

 color, too, with the heavily spotted 

 breast, is often misleading. 



It is a representative of the ground- 

 feeders and among its numerous ar- 

 ticles of diet are snails and click 

 beetles, which it obtains from the for- 

 est floor, for this bird inhabits the 

 deep still woods and forests. Even 

 its nest is placed on the ground, arch- 

 ed over like a dome, plastered with 

 leaves and mud, a sort of oven, from 

 which the bird gets its name. 



"The stomach of these half-grown 

 nestlings of the Ovenbird examined 

 in the laboratory contained beetles of 

 the family Lampyridae, click beetles, 

 caterpillars, moths, millers, and snails. 

 Spau worms are also eaten. 

 Span worms are also eaten. 



Thus we see what, mainly, consti- 

 tute the food of these birds, for owing 

 to the great numiber of species and 

 their wide distribution, enormous num- 

 bers of insects, in the main harmful 

 species, are destroyed by them yearly. 

 LEON A. HANSMAN. 



