﻿SUMMARY 
  OF 
  RESULTS. 
  \) 
  

  

  Orchard 
  oriole. 
  Pyrrhuloxia. 
  

  

  Baltimore 
  oriole. 
  Painted 
  bunting. 
  • 
  

  

  Bullock 
  oriole. 
  Dickcissel. 
  

  

  Brewer 
  blackbird. 
  White-rumped 
  shrike. 
  

  

  Great-tailed 
  grackle. 
  American 
  pipit. 
  

  

  Savanna 
  sparrow. 
  Mockingbird. 
  

  

  Lark 
  sparrow. 
  Brown 
  thrasher. 
  

  

  White-throated 
  sparrow. 
  Carolina 
  wren. 
  

  

  Cardinal. 
  Black-crested 
  titmouse. 
  

  

  Thirteen 
  of 
  the 
  above 
  species 
  fed 
  on 
  the 
  weevil 
  during 
  the 
  summer 
  

   months, 
  and 
  17 
  during 
  the 
  winter 
  months, 
  2 
  species 
  feeding 
  upon 
  the 
  

   insect 
  both 
  in 
  summer 
  and 
  winter. 
  About 
  18 
  percent 
  of 
  the 
  stomachs 
  

   of 
  these 
  birds 
  contained 
  boll 
  weevil 
  remains, 
  and 
  the 
  total 
  number 
  of 
  

   weevils 
  eaten 
  by 
  them 
  amounted 
  to 
  40 
  percent 
  of 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  birds 
  

   examined. 
  

  

  The 
  orioles 
  prove 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  greatest 
  destroyers 
  of 
  weevils 
  in 
  summer, 
  

   and 
  their 
  near 
  relatives, 
  the 
  blackbirds 
  and 
  meadow 
  larks, 
  in 
  winter. 
  

   Orioles, 
  because 
  of 
  their 
  bright 
  plumage, 
  have 
  until 
  recently 
  been 
  

   extensively 
  used 
  for 
  millinery 
  purposes, 
  and 
  thus 
  their 
  numbers 
  have 
  

   been 
  much 
  reduced. 
  Thousands 
  were 
  slaughtered, 
  not 
  alone 
  in 
  the 
  

   United 
  States, 
  but 
  in 
  Central 
  America, 
  where 
  they 
  pass 
  the 
  winter. 
  

   In 
  view 
  of 
  their 
  great 
  value 
  as 
  weevil 
  destroyers 
  every 
  effort 
  should 
  be 
  

   made 
  to 
  prevent 
  their 
  destruction 
  for 
  any 
  purpose 
  whatever. 
  The 
  

   same 
  suggestion 
  applies 
  with 
  almost 
  equal 
  force 
  to 
  the 
  nighthawk, 
  

   which 
  is 
  strictly 
  insectivorous 
  and 
  is 
  shown 
  to 
  be 
  an 
  enemy 
  of 
  the 
  

   boll 
  weevil. 
  During 
  the 
  migrations 
  the 
  nighthawk 
  occurs 
  in 
  certain 
  

   sections 
  of 
  the 
  South 
  in 
  great 
  numbers 
  and 
  is 
  frequently 
  shot 
  wantonly 
  

   or 
  for 
  food. 
  The 
  bird 
  should 
  everywhere 
  and 
  at 
  all 
  times 
  be 
  protected. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  an 
  insect 
  so 
  destructive 
  as 
  the 
  boll 
  weevil, 
  which 
  has 
  

   thus 
  far 
  defied 
  all 
  attempts 
  at 
  restraint 
  and 
  is 
  steadily 
  extending 
  its 
  

   ravages 
  into 
  new 
  territory, 
  every 
  natural 
  check 
  to 
  its 
  increase 
  should 
  

   be 
  encouraged. 
  Though 
  the 
  extent 
  of 
  the 
  services 
  rendered 
  by 
  the 
  

   avian 
  enemies 
  of 
  the 
  insect 
  may 
  sometimes 
  seem 
  small 
  or 
  even 
  insig- 
  

   nificant, 
  in 
  reality 
  their 
  cumulative 
  effect 
  is 
  very 
  important. 
  

  

  Birds 
  are 
  not 
  the 
  least 
  important 
  of 
  the 
  boll 
  weevil's 
  natural 
  ene- 
  

   mies, 
  and 
  every 
  species 
  ascertained 
  to 
  feed 
  on 
  it 
  should 
  be 
  protected 
  

   at 
  .all 
  times 
  and 
  places, 
  not 
  only 
  in 
  the 
  cotton-producing 
  area, 
  but 
  

   along 
  their 
  migration 
  routes. 
  Of 
  the 
  birds 
  known 
  to 
  eat 
  the 
  weevil 
  the 
  

   following 
  are 
  at 
  present 
  not 
  protected 
  in 
  Texas 
  : 
  Killdeer 
  plover, 
  cow- 
  

   bird, 
  red- 
  winged 
  blackbird, 
  Brewer 
  blackbird, 
  and 
  great-tailed 
  grackle, 
  

   or 
  ' 
  jackdaw.' 
  Others, 
  including 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  valuable 
  species, 
  

   though 
  protected 
  by 
  statute, 
  are 
  often 
  wantonly 
  destroyed 
  through 
  

   ignorance 
  of 
  the 
  important 
  work 
  they 
  perform. 
  

  

  There 
  can 
  be 
  no 
  question 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  usefulness 
  of 
  the 
  killdeer, 
  and 
  

   it 
  should 
  be 
  included 
  among 
  the 
  species 
  protected 
  at 
  all 
  seasons. 
  

   The 
  economic 
  position 
  of 
  the 
  various 
  species 
  of 
  blackbirds 
  is 
  not 
  so 
  

   31019— 
  No. 
  25—06 
  2 
  

  

  