﻿BIRDS 
  THAT 
  EAT 
  THE 
  COTTON 
  BOLL 
  WEEVIL. 
  

  

  INTRODUCTION. 
  

  

  The 
  problem 
  of 
  controlling 
  the 
  ravages 
  of 
  the 
  cotton 
  boll 
  weevil 
  in 
  

   the 
  United 
  States 
  is 
  of 
  such 
  moment 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  being 
  studied 
  by 
  the 
  

   Department 
  of 
  Agriculture 
  from 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  different 
  standpoints. 
  

   One 
  of 
  these 
  is 
  the 
  relation 
  of 
  birds 
  to 
  the 
  weevil. 
  Accurate 
  informa- 
  

   tion 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  value 
  of 
  our 
  native 
  birds 
  as 
  destroyers 
  of 
  this 
  pest 
  is 
  of 
  

   considerable 
  importance 
  to 
  the 
  cotton 
  grower, 
  but 
  such 
  information 
  

   can 
  be 
  obtained 
  only 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  careful 
  and 
  continued 
  observation 
  

   in 
  the 
  field, 
  supplemented 
  by 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  stomach 
  contents 
  of 
  the 
  

   birds. 
  Field 
  observations 
  alone, 
  unverified 
  by 
  stomach 
  examinations, 
  

   have 
  proved 
  unreliable. 
  Birds 
  may 
  be 
  observed 
  picking 
  insects 
  from 
  

   cotton 
  plants, 
  but 
  it 
  does 
  not 
  follow 
  that 
  the 
  insects 
  are 
  boll 
  weevils; 
  

   nor 
  is 
  the 
  statement 
  that 
  boll 
  weevils 
  have 
  been 
  found 
  in 
  birds' 
  

   stomachs, 
  if 
  made 
  by 
  persons 
  unaccustomed 
  to 
  the 
  identification 
  of 
  

   insects, 
  to 
  be 
  accepted 
  as 
  conclusive. 
  Insect 
  remains 
  in 
  a 
  bird's 
  

   stomach 
  are 
  nearly 
  always 
  in 
  a 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  disintegrated 
  condition, 
  

   so 
  that 
  identification 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  is 
  difficult 
  and 
  requires 
  the 
  services 
  

   of 
  a 
  specialist. 
  

  

  Investigation 
  of 
  the 
  problem 
  was 
  begun 
  by 
  the 
  Biological 
  Survey 
  

   in 
  the 
  fall 
  of 
  1904 
  under 
  the 
  direction 
  of 
  Vernon 
  Bailey. 
  The 
  results 
  

   of 
  this 
  study, 
  with 
  a 
  summary 
  of 
  work 
  done 
  by 
  the 
  Bureau 
  of 
  

   Entomology, 
  were 
  published 
  in 
  a 
  special 
  bulletin 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Bailey 
  in 
  

   1905.° 
  Stomachs 
  of 
  38 
  species 
  of 
  birds 
  were 
  examined, 
  and 
  11 
  

   species 
  were 
  found 
  to 
  have 
  eaten 
  boll 
  weevils. 
  The 
  number 
  of 
  

   species 
  known 
  to 
  feed 
  on 
  the 
  weevil 
  was 
  increased 
  to 
  20. 
  

  

  PROGRESS 
  OF 
  THE 
  INVESTIGATION. 
  

  

  During 
  1905 
  investigations 
  were 
  continued 
  by 
  the 
  Biological 
  Survey, 
  

   and 
  particular 
  attention 
  was 
  devoted 
  to 
  the 
  seasons 
  about 
  which 
  

   least 
  was 
  known 
  — 
  namely, 
  the 
  period 
  from 
  February 
  to 
  October. 
  b 
  The 
  

  

  a 
  BuUetin 
  22, 
  Biological 
  Survey. 
  

  

  & 
  Field 
  work 
  was 
  carried 
  on 
  by 
  James 
  H. 
  Gaut 
  in 
  three 
  localities 
  in 
  Texas 
  for 
  periods 
  

   aggregating 
  nearly 
  six 
  weeks, 
  as 
  follows: 
  At 
  Hempstead, 
  February 
  21 
  to 
  March 
  3; 
  at 
  East 
  

   Bernard, 
  May 
  2 
  to 
  17, 
  and 
  at 
  Columbus, 
  May 
  18 
  to 
  June 
  1. 
  A 
  considerable 
  number 
  of 
  birds' 
  

   stomachs 
  were 
  obtained 
  by 
  him, 
  but 
  as 
  no 
  traces 
  of 
  the 
  boll 
  weevil 
  were 
  found 
  in 
  any 
  of 
  

   them 
  they 
  are 
  not 
  considered 
  in 
  the 
  present 
  bulletin. 
  

  

  7 
  

  

  