6 
mon, the eggs of the other blood-red. Notes on the life histories. Men¬ 
tions coccid on native aspen. Neither of the above species is confined to 
the apple. The common kind infests the Persian lilac, and possibly the 
currant and mountain ash: the white scale is found on the hazel. Recom¬ 
mends applications of caustic solutions to the twigs and branches the last 
week in May and the first in June, while the insects are young. Describes 
experiments with sulphur and quassia water, the latter of admirable effect 
on plant lice. For bark lice, scraping with dull knife before hatching is the 
most useful remedy. Species of insectivorous birds and of Coccinella?., 
Acari, and Ichneumonidae probably prey upon them both. 
1855. 
Observations upon some of the Birds of Illinois most Interesting to the Agricul¬ 
turist. (Trans. Ill. Agric. Soc., 1853-54, v. 1, pp. 559-565.) 
General article. Insectivorous species and groups distinguished. Birds 
less abundant in Illinois than in the East. Amount of damage done by 
birds is trivial as compared with the good they do. Insectivorous birds 
of Illinois are reviewed as to food and habits, and mention is made of 
the decreasing numbers of certain species. The list is imperfect, but of 
some interest as showing what birds were common at that time in this 
part of the country. 
1870. 
The Apple-tree Tent Caterpillar. (Am. Ent., Mar., 1870, v. 2, pp. 143-146.) 
More than two dozen insects attack the apple-tree, among which the 
round-headed borer, oyster-shell bark louse, cankerworm, apple worm, and 
tent caterpillar hold a bad preeminence, the latter being the most con¬ 
spicuous and at times the most destructive. Gives life history and habits 
of the tent caterpillar. Nests are also frequently found on peach, plum, 
cherry, and wild cherry. There is but one brood in a year. They may be 
destroyed readily when collected in their nests. Parasitic insects attack 
them, as do also the Baltimore oriole and the American cuckoo. 
Do Birds do more Good than Harmf Ho. I. (Prairie Farmer, Mar. 12, 1870, 
v. 41, p. 74); Ho. II. (Ibid., Mar. 19, 1870. p. 82); Ho. III. (Ibid., Apr. 
2, 1870, p. —..) 
No. I. Birds are injurious in two ways: first, by devouring poultry, 
fruit, and grain; secondly, by destroying parasitic insects. Injury by birds 
of prey hardly deserves consideration. Fruit and grain eating birds do 
more damage, but it is mainly limited to small fruits and Indian corn, I 
and the proportion of amount of damage to amount raised is small. The 
principal benefit rendered by birds is in devouring noxious _ insects. The 
case as stated for the birds is that the number of species seriously injurious I 
is small; that all these birds destroy insects, feeding upon them double 
the time that they do on fruits and grain; and that many whole families of 
birds live exclusively on insects. The force of these propositions is abated 
by other considerations: But a small proportion of insects devoured are 
noxious; parasitic insects are devoured with the rest, though to what ex¬ 
tent is not known; many noxious species are rarely or never eaten by I 
birds. Destruction of parasitic insects by birds discussed. Birds upon 
the whole are useful, but a number of species apparently do more harm 
than good. 
No. II. Species of birds considered whose habits bring them into more il 
or less intimate relationship with man. The crow is a serious pest to 
corn, digging it up w r hen newly planted, and devouring it when ripening 
in the fall; but he also devours great numbers of grubs and beetles. The 
blue jay devours some larger fruits, and is also insectivorous. The crow 
blackbird destroys corn, and also follows the plow in search of grubs, j 
The red-winged blackbird injures corn when in the milk, and also feeds I 
