BEETLES, MOTHS, AND FLIES. 65 



The orders hitherto omitted, viz, the Homoptera and Neuroptera (in 

 the old sense), are so poorly represented as to deserve no special men- 

 tion. The same may be said of the order Myriapoda, of which a few- 

 specimens of a Julus' were found. 



In order to complete this picture of the food habits of the Crow, it is 

 important to mention briefly those families, or even single species, of 

 insects which are of economic importance, being either injurious or 

 beneficial, but which were not found in the stomachs examined. Only 

 such insects are mentioned here as occur on or near the ground and of 

 which one might expect that the Crows, at least occasionally, would 

 pick up specimens. Some of the orders or families unrepresented, or 

 but poorly represented, have been mentioned before and are not here 

 repeated. 



Among the Coleoptera the absence of the useful ladybirds (Cocci- 

 nellida?) deserves special mention (only a single elytron of one species 

 has been found). Still more striking is the absence of the large family 

 of leaf beetles (Chrysoinelida?), including the notorious Colorado potato 

 beetle (Doryphora 10-lineata). In fact, only four species of Chrysome- 

 lida? were found in all the stomachs (two elytra of Paria canella, one 

 elytron of Colaspis brunnea, and a few specimens of the aquatic Donatio, 

 flavipes). Chrysomelid larva? are entirely absent. Finally, the soldier 

 beetles of the genera Chauliognathus and Teleplwrus in the family 

 Lampyrida? are not represented, and only two larva? of a Teleplwrus 

 were found in a single stomach. 



In the Hymenoptera no injurious (phytophagic) families are repre- 

 sented, but, on the other hand, the immense host of beneficial (para- 

 sitic) species is also almost entirely absent, only a few isolated speci- 

 mens having been found. The Crow is not one of the destroyers of the 

 honeybee, for only a single bee occurred in all the stomachs. 



In the Lepidoptera, which practically do not contain any beneficial 

 species, the absence of all cabbage worms (larvae of Pieris rapce, Plusia 

 brassicce, etc.), excepting a solitary specimen, deserves mention; also 

 the absence of the various Sphingid larva? and their pupa?, which infest 

 potatoes, sweet potatoes, and tobacco. The corn worm (larva of Helio- 

 tliis armigera) is here especially mentioned because it is said that the 

 Crows pull out and injure the ears of corn only for the purpose of get- 

 ting at the corn worms. This species has not been recognized, but it 

 is possible that a few specimens are among the unidentifiable Noctuid 

 larva?. 



In the Diptera the most injurious species is the Hessian fly ( Cecidomyia 

 destructor), but the small size of the larva and pupa, as well as their 

 mode of occurrence, make it improbable that the Crows ever feed upon 

 this insect, and no traces of them were found in the stomachs. The 

 beneficial Diptera, viz, larva? of Syrphida? and the family Tachinida?, 

 are absent. 



3086— No. 6 5 



