No. 390.] SECURING INSECTS FROM BIRDS. 473 
An orchard oriole’s nest with three young in another tree had 
a nest of hairy caterpillars within four inches of it. The hairi- 
ness of caterpillars seems to secure them from the attacks of 
birds more effectually than do any of the particular protective 
coloration devices thus far considered. 
Stings. 
The stings of Hymenoptera also serve as an effective pro- 
tective device. A young sparrow, in whose mouth I inserted 
a small bee (Andrena), was stung in the throat, soon became 
very much affected, and finally I killed it to relieve its suffer- 
ings. A caged chewink seized a honey-bee, pecked it well and 
then swallowed it, but died within fifteen minutes. Mr. Benton, 
of the Agricultural Department, tells me that he had to give up 
raising ducks, because those just hatched ate honey-bees about 
the apiaries and were fatally stung. Nevertheless, I had a 
caged blue jay that would eat such large bees as Bombus and 
Xylocopa virginica. Flycatchers habitually feed upon stinging 
Hymenoptera, particularly upon Scoliids. The same is true of 
swallows, and the English sparrow is very fond of Tiphia and 
Myzine. Other birds occasionally take stinging Hymenoptera, 
less often large Apine. On May 18, 1898, I shot a catbird 
near a willow tree in which many bees were humming about 
the flowers, and the bird contained three small bees. The bird 
had a large supply of food, cutworms, beetles, etc., to choose 
from, but, nevertheless, took bees. It has been pointed out by 
Beddard that stinging Hymenoptera, in addition to being warn- 
ingly colored, have disagreeable odors and tastes; it is also to 
be noted that many stinging Hymenoptera are not warningly 
colored, as the theory of protective coloration would, of neces- 
sity, demand them to be. 
Among the ants there is a large division, the Myrmicide 
(the stinging ants). The smaller species of this division are 
eaten by a great many birds. Some of these ants have thorns 
on their abdomens which are said by Wallace to protect them 
from birds. More than any other protection perhaps is the 
formic acid which ants contain, but the efficiency of this device 
