OUR LARGES'/' STANDING ARMY: THE BIRDS. 
329 
studies have been preserved by the 
United States Entomological Com- 
mission. (First Report, Appendix 
II.) 
Between 1865 and 1877 Professor 
Aughey made out-door observations 
of living birds and in-door examina- 
tions of stomach contents. His tab- 
ulated results show conclusively that 
birds of all kinds were doing their 
best to reduce the numbers of the 
locusts: A brief summary of the 
principal facts will indicate the truth 
of this. 
Beginning with the thrushes and 
their allies we find that six robins 
had eaten 265 locusts ; that three 
wood thrushes had taken 68 locusts ; 
that one hermit thrush contained 
19 locusts; that two olive-backed 
thrushes were responsible for the 
death of 55 ’hoppers, while two 
Wilson’s thrushes had destroyed 73 
more. Five catbirds had eaten 152 
of these insects. 
Sixty-seven locusts were taken 
from the stomachs of three blue 
birds, and 29 from one little ruby- 
crowned kinglet, while four tufted 
titmice yielded 250 of the pests, and 
nine long-tailed chickadees contained 
481 of them. Four slender-billed 
nuthatches — the western representa- 
tive of the white-bellied nuthatch — 
had eaten 93 locusts. Even the lit- 
tle warblers ate many of the pests, 
naturally choosing the younger 
specimens. Seven golden warblers 
had taken 77 locusts and 176 other 
insects. Five black-throated green 
warblers contained 116 ’hoppers and 
104 other insects. Four black-poll 
warblers had eaten 123 locusts, 
varying their diet with 47 insects of 
other kinds. Eight prairie warblers 
devoured 116 of the locusts, and 
greater number of other insects ; 
while the golden-crowned thrush had 
fed both upon the ’hoppers and their 
eggs. Many warblers were seen 
feeding their nestlings with young- 
locusts. 
While the warblers paid most 
attention to the immature grass- 
hoppers, the swallows fed chiefly 
upon the adult winged insects, 
probably catching them in the aim 
Seven barn swallows had eaten 139, 
eight eve swallows, 326, five bank 
swallows, 104, and ten purple mar- 
tins, 265 locusts. 
The vireos and shrikes were found' 
to eat many of the pests, while some 
of the grosbeaks and finches ate the 
eggs as well as the hoppers. Three 
bobolinks had devoured an average 
of 14 locusts each, while nine 
meadow larks had taken 213 of the 
pests besides some of their eggs. 
Fifty-one locusts were taken from 
