MOST USEFUL BIRDS. 215 



maiming them and dropping them upon the ground. This 

 habit of killing and dropping larvae has been observed else- 

 where.* 



Fig. 32. Blue jay. 



OMpping Sparroiv. — Though the chipping sparrow does 

 not rank high among insectivorous birds, and feeds largely 

 upon seeds during certain seasons of the year, it nevertheless 

 destroys very many in- 

 sects, especially lepi- 

 dopterous larvae, which 

 are injurious to trees 

 and garden plants. It 

 is often seen chasing 

 flying gypsy m oths . It 

 appears to be fond of 

 gypsy moth caterpillars, 

 and I have frequently 

 observed it in badly 

 infested spots catching 

 and killing large larvae, 

 and dissected contained a nearly full-grown larva of the 

 gypsy moth, which had been swallowed head first. 



In 1891 Mr. E. P. Felt confined (for experimental pur- 



* Dr. C. M. Weed in the Ninth Annual Report of the Ohio Agricultural 

 ment Station, 1890, p. Iv. 



