﻿14 
  BIRDS 
  THAT 
  EAT 
  THE 
  COTTON 
  BOLL 
  WEEVIL. 
  

  

  KILLDEER. 
  

  

  (Oxyechus 
  vociferus.) 
  

  

  One 
  killdeer 
  taken 
  in 
  February 
  was 
  found 
  to 
  have 
  eaten 
  three 
  boll 
  

   weevils. 
  Further 
  observations 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  season 
  may 
  not 
  improb- 
  

   ably 
  produce 
  additional 
  evidence 
  of 
  this 
  bird's 
  value 
  as 
  a 
  weevil 
  

   destroyer. 
  The 
  killdeer 
  frequents 
  plowed 
  fields, 
  often 
  in 
  large 
  num- 
  

   bers, 
  and 
  the 
  destruction 
  of 
  weevils 
  at 
  the 
  period 
  of 
  spring 
  plowing 
  

   is 
  a 
  highly 
  important 
  service. 
  The 
  present 
  game 
  law 
  of 
  Texas 
  affords 
  

   no 
  protection 
  to 
  this 
  bird, 
  a 
  defect 
  which 
  should 
  be 
  remedied 
  by 
  

   legislation. 
  Meanwhile 
  an 
  enlightened 
  public 
  opinion 
  should 
  serve 
  

   to 
  prevent 
  its 
  destruction 
  for 
  any 
  purpose. 
  

  

  MOCKINGBIRD. 
  

  

  {Mimus 
  polyglottos.) 
  

  

  In 
  view 
  of 
  the 
  abundance 
  of 
  the 
  mockingbird 
  in 
  and 
  about 
  the 
  

   cotton 
  fields, 
  both 
  in 
  winter 
  and 
  summer, 
  a 
  study 
  of 
  its 
  food 
  habits 
  

   with 
  relation 
  to 
  the 
  boll 
  weevil 
  is 
  especially 
  important. 
  Sufficient 
  

   data 
  were 
  obtained 
  in 
  the 
  summer 
  of 
  1905 
  to 
  demonstrate 
  that 
  this 
  

   bird 
  feeds 
  only 
  sparingly 
  upon 
  the 
  weevils 
  at 
  that. 
  season. 
  Of 
  the 
  

   stomachs 
  examined, 
  only 
  four, 
  or 
  about 
  5 
  per 
  cent 
  of 
  the 
  total 
  number, 
  

   contained 
  boll 
  weevils. 
  Specimens 
  taken 
  in 
  winter 
  are 
  too 
  few 
  to 
  

   furnish 
  conclusive 
  evidence 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  mockingbird's 
  value 
  at 
  that 
  

   season. 
  Only 
  1 
  1 
  winter 
  specimens 
  have 
  been 
  examined, 
  and 
  of 
  these 
  

   2 
  contained 
  1 
  boll 
  weevil 
  each. 
  

  

  OTHER 
  SPECIES. 
  

  

  There 
  remain 
  to 
  be 
  mentioned 
  five 
  species 
  of 
  birds, 
  belonging 
  to 
  

   as 
  many 
  different 
  families, 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  found 
  to 
  eat 
  the 
  boll 
  

   weevil. 
  They 
  are 
  the 
  white-rumped 
  shrike, 
  the 
  American 
  pipit 
  or 
  

   titlark, 
  the 
  brown 
  thrasher, 
  the 
  Carolina 
  wren, 
  and 
  the 
  black-crested 
  

   titmouse. 
  The 
  most 
  useful 
  of 
  these 
  seem 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  titlark 
  and 
  the 
  

   Carolina 
  wren. 
  The 
  importance 
  of 
  both 
  has 
  been 
  emphasized 
  by 
  

   Mr. 
  Bailey 
  in 
  a 
  previous 
  bulletin, 
  and 
  no 
  additional 
  evidence 
  has 
  

   since 
  been 
  obtained. 
  The 
  titlark 
  (Anthus 
  pensilvanicus) 
  is 
  an 
  abun- 
  

   dant 
  winter 
  resident, 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  eight 
  specimens 
  collected 
  three 
  had 
  

   eaten 
  boll 
  weevils. 
  

  

  The 
  Carolina 
  wren 
  (Thryothorus 
  ludovicianus) 
  is 
  common 
  in 
  winter, 
  

   but 
  rather 
  rare 
  in 
  summer. 
  Of 
  the 
  seven 
  birds 
  killed 
  in 
  winter 
  five 
  

   had 
  eaten 
  boll 
  weevils. 
  

  

  The 
  white-rumped 
  shrike, 
  or 
  'loggerhead 
  7 
  (Lanius 
  ludovicianus 
  excu- 
  

   bitorides), 
  was 
  ascertained 
  by 
  assistants 
  of 
  the 
  Bureau 
  of 
  Entomology 
  

   to 
  feed 
  on 
  boll 
  weevils, 
  two 
  birds 
  taken 
  in 
  December 
  having 
  captured 
  

   one 
  and 
  four 
  weevils, 
  respectively. 
  Examination 
  of 
  additional 
  mate- 
  

  

  