RILEY ON ITS INSECTIVOROUS HABITS. 131 



Eats moths singed by gas, but fails to touch living Currant- worms close by. — Dr. 

 R. L. Walker, Mansfield, Pa. 



Numerous stomachs examined, but very few insects found. — Dr. H. D. Moore, New 

 Lexington, Pa. 



Out of 50 dissections in March, April, May and June, no insects but one beetle. — 

 Dr. B. H. Warren, West Chester, Pa. 



Eats young grasshoppers after oats are harvested. — B. F. Maxson, Westerly, R. I. 



Does not disturb the Cotton-worms. — W. J. Hinson, James Island, S. C. 



Eats maggots from dead animals. — W. T. Nixon, Lawrenceburgh, Tenn. 



Does not destroy the Codling-moth. — James G. Kenney, Provo City, Utah. 



Eats larvao of Bot-flies. — Dr. Hiram A. Cutting, Lunenburgh, Vt. 



Feeding in large flocks on Grasshoppers. — George M. Neese, New Market, Va. 



Does not eat caterpillars on the elm. — Col. Randolph Harrison, Richmond, Va. 



Destroys Cabbage-worms and Tent-caterpillers. — Dr. J. R. Mathers, Buckhannon 

 W. Va. 



Noticed a few alight on webs of Tent-caterpillars. — John H. Strider, Halltown, W. 

 Va. 



Very destructive to Cabbage-worms (Pieris rapce). — J. H. Shank, Hickory, W. Va, 



Does not eat caterpillars on grape-vines aud pear trees close to nest.— G. W. Knapp, 

 Leon, W. Va. 



Eats Grasshoppers and Katydids.— Z. L. Welmau, Stoughton, Wis. 



This list includes quite a number of injurious species, together with a 

 fair proportion of beneficial and innoxious ones. In the majority of the 

 cases, however, the observations are based on seeing the bird capture 

 the insect, and this kind of information is always less reliable than that 

 obtained from dissections. From a long experience in collecting en- 

 tomological data through circularization I have learned how unreliable 

 the reports are, except when the reporter has some special and expert 

 knowledge. 



Among the more injurious insects captured are instances of Bag 

 worms, Rose bugs, Tobacco-worms, Plum Curculio, " Codling-worm, v 

 Scale insects, Apbididae, Chinch bugs, and Cabbage-worms. Now these 

 are in almost all cases isolated instates, and granting the observations 

 to be correct, they do no alter the fact, that where any of these insects 

 have been common within, or in the neighborhood of, a city where the 

 Sparrows are abundant, the birds have in no instance affected the power 

 of the insects for harm. Hence such reports, unless they take into con- 

 sideration all the facts bearing upon the subject, are misleading. 



Four cases are mentioned where the larvae of Orgyia and one where 

 the larvae of Hyphantria have been eaten. Such cases, even if isolated, 

 are extremely interesting ; but for the present must be disposed of in 

 the same way as those just instanced. The cases where the bird is re 

 ported as taking Locusts (Acrididae), Grasshoppers (Locustidse), and the 

 Army- worm and Cut- worms (Noctuid larvae) are sufficiently numerous 

 to show that in these directions the Sparrow in the country, and under 

 conditions of scarcity of other kinds of food, might prove of considerable 

 benefit. The same may be said of the Canker worms, and some other 

 smooth Geometrid larvae, especially Ennomos subsignaria, which affect 

 trees and shrubs. 



