EVIDENCE. RELATION TO INSECTS. 297 



Cincinnati. Dr. F. W. Langdon: I have observed it to be quite expert in catching 

 moths (Noctuidce) on the wing, about our parks; and the seventeen-year cicada fur- 

 nished an abundant repast during the season just goue. (November, 1885.) 



Cleveland. Dr. E. Sterling: As for insects, I have only seen it take the Ephemeral 

 [May flies] and other harmless insects. I have seen twenty or more Sparrows on a 

 fence alive with elm-tree worms, and utterly disregarding these pests. (February 

 25, 1884. Present about fourteen years.) 



Columbus (suburb, Ohio State University). William B. Alwood: I have not ob- 

 served closely iu regard to its relation to insects ; but I have never found an insect 

 or any part of one in the stomachs of Sparrows killed and dissected during the harvest 

 season. I have never known it to attack insect larvae, though many times very abun- 

 dant. Larva? of Hyphantria cunea (web-worm) were especially abundant during the 

 month of June, juet past, but none were eateu by the Sparrows, so far as we could 

 observe. (July 16, 1887. Present ten years or more.) 



Hamilton. George Harbron : It feeds upon the measuring worm and cabbage 

 moth to a limited extent. (September 13, 1886. Present about eighteen years.) 



Jefferson. A. C. White : I have only observed that it follows robins and bluebirds, 

 and takes from them the worms and insects which they find. (September 3, 1836. 

 Present about seven years.) 



Marietta. Dudley S. Ney : They do not seem to destroy caterpillars, grubs, or in- 

 sect larvae. I am informed by those who have dissected them that they find no in- 

 sects in them. (November 25, 1886. Present about sixteen years.) 



Newton Falls. E.W.Turner: I have watched them closely, and have never seen 

 one eat an insect yet. (November 16, 1886. Present five years.) 



North Bend (suburbs). K. H. Warder : Iu 1885 it ate the seventeen-year cicada, and 

 iu July, 1886, I found them eating grasshoppers in meadows. (November 27, 1886. 

 Present about eleven years.) 



Ripley. M. M. Murphy : I find the Sparrow of great benefit in my garden, eating 

 the worms off the cabbages, and the caterpillars, etc., from my persimmon trees. 

 (November 12, 1886. Present about ten years.) 



Salem. Mrs. L. S. Solberg: It feeds its young upon insects, and destroys their 

 larvae. (October 13, 1886. Present seven or eight years.) 



Sharon Centre. F. G. Cottingham : It will eat worms, bugs, and beetles when it can 

 not get grain. I have seen it eat locusts, cut-worms, and white grubs, but to a very 

 limited extent. The benefit has been very slight. (August 21, 1886. Present about 

 two years.) 



JVadsworth. Dr. J. F. Detweiler : I once saw a Sparrow catch and eat a grasshopper, 

 but this is the only instance I have noted of their eating insects. During the summer 

 I dissected a great many to see what they had eaten. I found small grain and seeds 

 in all, but iu no single case did I find an insect, nor were any signs of any seen with 

 the microscope. (December 10, 1887. Present about thirteen years.) 



Wakeman. W.B.Hall: Last winter I cut an old apple tree badly infested with 

 the scale insect. In trimming the tree I had the brush piled neatly. I soon found 

 the brush pile a resort for the English Sparrows, and by close observation found 

 them picking the scales off. They completely destroyed the scale insects from the 

 above-mentioned tree so that I could not find a single specimen. I looked thoroughly, 

 as I wanted to obtain some for microscopic investigation. This is the only time I 

 have seen the Sparrow eating insects. (December 24, 1886. Present about five 

 years. ) 



Washington C. R. II. D. Pursell : During the last two years I have been conduct- 

 ing a series of experiments as to the best method of disposing of the English Spar- 

 row, and during that time I have been a close observer of its habits. I am emphat- 

 ically of opinion that as an insect destroyer he is a failure. (January 23, 1888.) 



PttXSSYLVA-8iA..—Chambersburgh (country). Davison Greenawalt: I never saw it 

 catch auything but a stray grasshopper or two. (September 5, 1886. Present about 

 fourteen years.) 



