PROCEEDINGS OF TWENTY- SIXTH FRUIT-GROWERS' CONVENTION. 187 



moth trap, even going into the apples after them, let alone cleaning out 

 the ground around the base of each tree. The peach-growers will find 

 the flickers good friends, if given a chance by removing the earth from 

 about the base of each tree for several inches in the early fall. We have 

 three other species of small woodpeckers, black and white in color, with 

 spotted wings, a stripe down the back, breast plain whitish, with a red 

 patch at the back of the head in the males. They are Cabanis's, Nutt- 

 all's, and Gairdner's woodpeckers, Nuttall's having a spotted breast. 

 The former species is twice as large as either of the latter two. 



Other useful birds are wrens, titmice, warblers, thrushes, and fly- 

 catchers. All of these are wholly insectivorous, and should be protected 

 all the year round by the farmer and fruit-grower, who should recognize 

 in them most able allies in the welfare of the farm. 



A MEMBER. Have you got any good points to tell us about the 

 blue jay? 



MR. EMERSON. The bluejay has got a bad reputation in this State. 

 We shot three or four hundred last year to make an examination of 

 their food, and found that it is ready to eat anything, from a hen's egg 

 to a prune, at some time of the year. At some other times it is bene- 

 ficial, on account of the amount of animal matter it consumes. Prob- 

 ably about two fifths of its food is animal matter. But the other part 

 of its diet is against the bird. 



A. MEMBER. Have you made any examination of the food eaten by 

 the king-bird and mocking-bird ? 



MR. EMERSON. The king-bird is a true flycatcher. They will 

 hover over the stands of bees and feed more or less during the whole 

 day. It has been discovered, however, that they only eat the dead bees. 



A MEMBER. Do you know of any birds that will feed on any of 

 the young fruit buds ? 



MR. EMERSON. The sparrows and linnets will feed on the fruit 

 buds early in the spring. Sometimes when they feed on prune buds I 

 think it is a benefit, for often the prunes need thinning out. 



Upon motion, the paper by Mr. Emerson was received and placed on 

 file. 



EESOLUTIONS OF THANKS. 



MR. AIKEN. The Committee on Resolutions wish to present the 

 following: 



We, the fruit-growers of California, desire to show our gratitude to the State Board of 

 Horticulture for this feast of knowledge it has prepared for us, and the invitation it has 

 extended to us to visit San Francisco, where we have learned so much of interest. 



I move that the thanks of the fruit-growers be extended to the State 

 Board of Horticulture and its officers for the interesting programme that 

 has been presented, and to all who have taken part in it. In speaking 



