REPORT OF J. P. STELLE. 
[29] 
living of its own accord late of an evening or at night, you will invariably lind it 
(•dousing its stopping places in obedience to the same rule ; you rarely see it stop on 
any of these exposed plants of the border. 
Trees. — I have o/ten been asked to explain why cotton plants growing in the imme- 
diate neighborhood of trees are longer exempt from destruction by worms than those 
glowing where trees are not. Some investigators have attributed it to the work of 
hi ids. \\ hu h. tiuding a convenient lodging place upon the trees, have devoured the 
insects; while others attribute it to shade. I know it is not due to birds devouring 
the worms, fori see tin' same thing around trees that birds never frequent : and 1 
know shade is not the cause, for I lind plants exempt all the same on the north sides 
of the trees where shade cannot come. It is, evidently, this same peculiar shyness 
of the moth which causes it to avoid exposed situations. If you watch it in its vol- 
untary flight, as I have done, you will see that it invariably gives all trees a wide 
berth. This is, in all probability, due to its instinctive fear of birds that »ti<iht he 
lodging upon the trees. 
Shade. — This does, however, afford a temporary annoyance; not to the moths, for 
they being nocturnal in their habits do all t heir work under shade, but to the worms. 
In my search for a solution of this tree-problem, I stretched a tarpauliu upon stakes 
above a number of plants so as to shade them. There was a goodly stock of worms 
upon the plants at the time, but in a day or two afterwards they had all changed 
their quarters to other plants and sunshine. But tin \ returned to their work in full 
force when a trimming out of the lield had brought nice, fresh cotton leaves into 
better demand. 
NATURAL KNF.MI1>. 
Entomologists who write on the subject of cotton insects usually find a great deal 
to say with reference to the " natural enemies *' of the Cotton worm. These they 
point out as existing among the quadrupeds and birds, and among other species of in- 
sects. To the quadruped portion of the subject I have given no attention, but birds 
as Cotton Worm destroy (is and some of the insects 1 have studied extensively and 
with great care. 
Hints. — Soon after I had located at Calvert reports were brought to mo by several 
planters setting forth that immense numbers of small but strange birds had appeared 
on their plantations and were devouring the Cotton Worms. I found the "strange 
bird" to be a small black, white and bull' sparrow of the species known to science as 
Coturnioulu* lecontei. As we approached the cotton fields it flew up in considerable 
numbers from among the plants along the edges bordered by woodlands, where it had 
been billing upon the worms, as the contents of its stomach, examined in several 
specimens shot, plainly demonstrated. I was rather surprised to see it in numbers so 
Largo, owing to the fact that it has usually been regarded by naturalists as rather a 
scarce bird. Of course it was not a strange bird for Texas; it had now for the first 
time attracted the attention of these planters — that was all. 
The Texas bird that I found standing tirst in rank as a devourer of Cotton Worms 
was the common Mocking Bird tMimus potyglottus) ; and next to this, perhaps, was 
the American Cuckoo (Coccygus americanus). I saw neither of these birds catching 
moths; the only bird I saw actively at that business to au extent worth naming 
was the r,ee Mai i in. or King Bird, of Texas ( Tynunuis rertieatis). It was quite plenti- 
ful on the Brazos, and I often saw it in the cotton fields after sunset catching moths, 
and not uufrequently continuing at its work until twilight had considerably ad- 
vanced beyond the half-way line between daylight and darkness. 
A-'ts. — I made many experiments with ants for the purpose of gathering some idea 
of the extent to which they are the " natural enemies" of the Cotton Worm. Put 
chrysalides of Aletia at the openings of ant-hills of all the species I was able to find 
in the cotton field, including those of the common and conspicuous Pogonomyrmer 
harhutus, or "Agricultural Ant of Texas." When first put down the ants usually 
tugged at the small extremities of the chrysalides for a few moments, after which 
they left them undisturbed. In not ono of the species was there ever evinced the 
slightest disposition to break the shells. On one occasion I partially crushed several 
chrysalides until the juices appeared; these the ants of each species to which they 
were olfered worked upon vigorously until they were either devoured upon the spot 
or dragged piecemeal into the habitation. 
One morning I placed a number of chrysalides of Aletia, still rolled up in the leaves, 
at the opening of a strong colony of P. barbaiiis. Returning in the evening to see 
what had happened I found the ants busily engaged cutting the then dried leaves W 
pieces for the sole purpose, evidently, of removing them from their clearing. It is a 
peculiarity of this ant to keep every thing cleared away from the entrance to its den 
for a space of 10 or L5 feet in diameter, not oven sparing cotton plants or those of any 
other crop that the farmer may happen.to. put within the boundaries of its claim. 
