>n wild seeds and on insects in the spring and during the breeding sea¬ 
son. The robin is troublesome to horticulturists, but is also a great de¬ 
murer of insects. The most destructive of fruit birds is the cherry or 
*edar bird; but it is as fond of insects as of fruit, particularly of the 
•ankerworm. The king-bird and Phoebe-bird in their search for insects 
sometimes take a few honey-bees. This about completes the list of in- 
urious birds. With most of them it is an open question whether they 
lo not do more good than harm. When compared with the noxious in¬ 
sects, their mischief appears insignificant. 
No. III. The two great instrumentalities in nature for preserving the 
mlance between insects and plants are birds and parasitic insects. “Our 
)bject now is to show how extensively and efficiently birds perform their 
)art.” All our smaller birds subsist more or less on ^insects, whilst many 
)f the more numerous families are almost exclusively insectivorous. Par¬ 
ticular species of birds seem to be assigned to particular localities and 
o appropriate particular kinds of insects. Flycatchers and swallows cap¬ 
ture their prey on the wing, the swallows also on the surface of water. 
SIghthawks fly higher and are nocturnal. Warblers, the most numerous 
amily of insectivorous birds, forage in trees and in a diversity of situations, 
iccording to species. The family of creepers destroys manv insects. Wood- 
ackers dig them from under the bark of trees. Cuckoos^ prefer the hairy 
•aterpillars. The shore lark burrows in soft earth for cutworms. Space 
orbids further enumeration, but no part of nature’s domain escapes the 
;earch of one or another of the tribes of insect-eating birds. “They 
mact a vast and essential part in controlling the indefinite multiplication 
>f insects.” 
Ippeal of the State Entomologist. (Prairie Farmer, April 2, 1870, v. 41, p. 
116.) 
Calls the attention of farmers and horticulturists to the importance of 
•o-operating with him in observing and noting facts regarding noxious in- 
•ects. Notes the importance of keeping records, and mentions some of the 
eading points to which attention should be directed. 
Sot Flies. (Prairie Farmer, April 30, 1870, v. 41, p. 130.) 
These pass their larval state in the bodies of herbivorous quadrupeds, 
vlentions animals they inhabit. Three kinds infest the horse. One lays 
its eggs on the lips; another under the throat; and a third on the fore 
egs. The last is the most important. The female deposits her eggs 
ingly on the hairs of the fore legs, from whence they are licked off and 
>ass into the stomach, where they hatch. The larvae hang by hooks to 
he walls of the stomach until full grown, then pass out through the 
>owels, entering the earth to complete their transformations. It is a dis- 
mted question whether or not they injure the horse. The nits may be 
■craped off with a knife, or washed off with hot soap and water, or killed by 
vetting with turpentine or kerosene. 
Sisectivorous Habits of the Prairie Lark (Alauda aIpestris). (Am. Ent., April, 
1870, v. 2, p. 168.) ’ 
It is a matter of dispute whether birds do more good by devouring nox- 
ous insects than damage by destroying fruits and seeds. The preponder- 
mce of opinion and sentiment is in favor of the birds. The prairie or 
hore lark is reported to have been seen running in the corn fields, fre- 
[uently inserting its beak into the earth near a spear of corn and dragging 
>ut a grub or a cutworm. This performance was repeated until several 
vorms, sometimes four or five, were collected and carried away, probably 
o nestlings. These birds must destroy immense numbers of larva? in a 
ieason. Several stomachs were examined, and a grain much like hulled 
>ats found in them. In one was a larva doubtfully determined as the 
;pindle worm. 
Jorn Kernels in Cocoons of Cecropia Moth. (Am. Ent. April, 1870, v. 2, p. 
17 1.) 
Instances given in which grains of corn were found in cocoons of Ce- 
‘ropia moth. Suggests that the blue jay deposits them there for safe 
seeping. 
