FIELD INVESTIGATIONS IN 1907. 27 



sparrows and savanna sparrows. A few small flocks of Brewer 

 blackbirds were feeding in the plowed fields. Eleven of these black- 

 birds were collected and 4 were found to have eaten boll weevils, one 

 taking 4 weevils, the others 1 each. Seven of the savanna sparrows 

 v were taken and in 1 a boll weevil was found. 



Victoria, Tex., February 13-16. — Most of the fields in this vicinity 

 had been plowed and some had been planted. Dry weather had 

 retarded the farming operations on many of the farms. Brewer 

 blackbirds were quite abundant and 22 specimens were taken, most of 

 them in a large field in process of being plowed, in which the stalks 

 had been broken down a month or more ago. There was consider- 

 able rubbish, consisting of dead grass and old cotton bolls and stalks, 

 on the ground in this field, but a careful examination of a half bushel 

 of this rubbish failed to show any weevils. Three of the Brewer 

 blackbirds taken in the field, however, had each eaten a boll weevil, 

 and 2 taken in another field had each captured 3 boll weevils. Sixteen 

 killdeer were taken in the field above referred to, but none of them had 

 eaten weevils. They fed mainty on large, juicy larvae turned up by 

 the plow. A single killdeer shot while flying over a pasture near 

 town had remains of 2 boll weevils in its stomach. Savanna sparrows 

 were abundant here, as at Cuero, and of the 7 birds taken, 1 contained 

 a boll weevil. 



Gurley, Tex., February 26 to March 9. — At this date only about 

 half of the Gurley ranch had been plowed and no cotton had as yet 

 been planted. Birds were only moderately abundant, the most nu- 

 merous species being meadow larks, savanna sparrows, and vesper 

 sparrows. One hundred and forty-six specimens of 29 species were 

 collected here, and 19 individuals, or 13 per cent of the total number 

 taken, were found to have eaten boll weevils. The weevils at this 

 date were probably found in their hibernating quarters or else crawl- 

 ing about in search of cotton plants on which to feed. Large flocks 

 of blackbirds of several species flew nightly down the valley to roost, 

 but very few of them alighted in the fields to feed. A flock of 

 bronzed grackles lived for several days about the fields, following 

 the plow in the furrow or the harrow as the old stalks were being 

 raked. Eighteen specimens of this blackbird were taken, 5 of which 

 had each eaten a boll weevil. These 5 birds were all taken in one 

 day in a small field where the old cotton stalks were being raked. 



Eleven eastern meadow larks and 18 western meadow larks were 

 taken in the fields, and of this number 3 of the eastern larks and 7 of 

 the western larks had eaten boll weevils, the total number of weevils 

 taken by the 10 birds being 14. They were not in the habit of follow- 

 ing the plow, as the blackbirds do, but fed in the open portions of the- 

 unplowed fields or among the standing stalks of cotton left from last 



