﻿8 
  BIRDS 
  THAT 
  EAT 
  THE 
  COTTON 
  BOLL 
  WEEVIL. 
  

  

  work 
  was 
  taken 
  up 
  by 
  the 
  writer 
  early 
  in 
  July 
  and 
  continued 
  until 
  

   October 
  20. 
  Stomachs 
  of 
  62 
  species 
  of 
  birds 
  were 
  collected 
  and 
  

   examined, 
  of 
  which 
  12 
  species 
  and 
  108 
  individuals 
  were 
  found 
  to 
  

   have 
  eaten 
  boll 
  weevils. 
  a 
  Detailed 
  results 
  of 
  the 
  summer 
  observa- 
  

   tions 
  will 
  be 
  given 
  later. 
  

  

  COMPARISON 
  OF 
  SUMMER 
  AND 
  WINTER 
  CONDITIONS. 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  growing 
  season 
  of 
  cotton 
  the 
  adult 
  weevils 
  are 
  concealed 
  

   the 
  greater 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  time 
  on 
  the 
  buds, 
  or 
  'squares, 
  ' 
  where 
  the 
  enfold- 
  

   ing 
  bracts 
  afford 
  almost 
  complete 
  protection 
  from 
  most 
  of 
  their 
  

   enemies; 
  this 
  fact 
  largely 
  explains 
  why 
  comparatively 
  few 
  weevils 
  

   are 
  eaten 
  by 
  birds 
  during 
  the 
  summer 
  months. 
  The 
  amount 
  of 
  time 
  

   they 
  spend 
  on 
  the 
  wing 
  and 
  the 
  distance 
  they 
  fly 
  from 
  place 
  to 
  place 
  

   are 
  not 
  well 
  known, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  only 
  during 
  the 
  period 
  of 
  maximum 
  

   infestation 
  that 
  any 
  considerable 
  proportion 
  of 
  the 
  insects 
  can 
  be 
  

   found 
  in 
  exposed 
  situations. 
  After 
  the 
  first 
  hard 
  frost, 
  weevils 
  begin 
  

   to 
  leave 
  the 
  cotton 
  plants 
  and 
  seek 
  sheltered 
  places 
  in 
  which 
  to 
  hiber- 
  

   nate. 
  During 
  this 
  period 
  their 
  numbers 
  are 
  materially 
  reduced, 
  but 
  

   in 
  favored 
  seasons 
  many 
  weevils 
  successful^ 
  pass 
  the 
  winter 
  in 
  their 
  

   retreats. 
  Rubbish 
  piles 
  about 
  the 
  borders 
  of 
  fields 
  apparently 
  furnish 
  

   the 
  most 
  desirable 
  hibernating 
  quarters, 
  and 
  in 
  such 
  situations 
  the 
  

   weevils 
  are 
  exposed 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  to 
  the 
  attacks 
  of 
  ground-feeding 
  

   birds. 
  They 
  are 
  said 
  to 
  make 
  use 
  also 
  of 
  the 
  hiding 
  places 
  afforded 
  

   by 
  the 
  cotton 
  and 
  corn 
  stalks 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  left 
  standing. 
  

  

  Investigations 
  thus 
  far 
  made 
  show 
  that 
  while 
  fewer 
  weevils 
  are 
  

   destroyed 
  by 
  birds 
  in 
  winter 
  than 
  in 
  summer, 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  species 
  

   of 
  birds 
  that 
  feed 
  upon 
  them 
  in 
  winter 
  is 
  somewhat 
  greater. 
  The 
  

   birds 
  which 
  eat 
  boll 
  weevils 
  in 
  winter 
  and 
  spring 
  and 
  up 
  to 
  the 
  time 
  

   of 
  the 
  breeding 
  season 
  of 
  the 
  insects 
  are 
  more 
  important 
  economically 
  

   than 
  those 
  which 
  eat 
  them 
  in 
  summer, 
  for 
  the 
  reason 
  that 
  during 
  the 
  

   season 
  of 
  nonactivity 
  of 
  the 
  weevils 
  a 
  relatively 
  long 
  period 
  must 
  

   elapse 
  before 
  they 
  can 
  make 
  good 
  the 
  losses 
  in 
  their 
  numbers, 
  while 
  

   during 
  the 
  breeding 
  season 
  weevils 
  multiply 
  with 
  astonishing 
  rapidity. 
  

  

  SUMMARY 
  OF 
  RESULTS. 
  

  

  As 
  a 
  result 
  of 
  the 
  investigation 
  of 
  the 
  relations 
  of 
  birds 
  to 
  boll 
  

   weevils, 
  details 
  of 
  which 
  are 
  given 
  on 
  succeeding 
  pages, 
  28 
  species 
  

   have 
  been 
  ascertained 
  to 
  feed 
  on 
  the 
  weevil, 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  

  

  Killdeer. 
  Least 
  flycatcher. 
  

  

  Quail. 
  Cowbird. 
  

  

  Nighthawk. 
  Red-winged 
  blackbird. 
  

  

  Scissor-tailed 
  flycatcher. 
  Meadow 
  lark. 
  

  

  Phoebe. 
  Western 
  meadow 
  lark. 
  

  

  ' 
  a 
  Examination 
  of 
  the 
  stomachs 
  was 
  conducted 
  in 
  the 
  laboratory 
  by 
  Prof. 
  F. 
  E. 
  L. 
  Beal 
  

   andW. 
  L. 
  McAtee. 
  

  

  

  