36 
The Bird Question. (Trans. Ill. State Hort. Soc., 1873, N. Ser.. v. 7, pp. 
311, 319.) 
A comprehensive review of the true relation of birds to horticul¬ 
tural and agricultural interests. Birds are one of the great agen¬ 
cies for keeping insects in check. Almost all land birds subsist, more or 
less, upon insects, and more than half of them chiefly or exclusively. 
Birds grouped as omnivorous, insectivorous, and granivorous. Though 
they present a sufficient antagonism to insects in a state of nature, they 
fail to furnish an adequate check to excessive multiplication due to 
human intervention, in which emergency insect enemies are often very 
useful. Birds and predaceous and parasitic insects, to some extent, 
have distinct fields of operation. Numerous examples given. Parasitism 
on imagos discussed. Birds do not increase excessively, as they lay few 
eggs and may suffer for lack of food in winter, while insects are hiber¬ 
nating. The number of species of birds injuring the horticulturist is 
small. These may be classed as those that are annoying, and those that 
are seriously injurious. Destroying the first class would be wanton 
cruelty. Those of the second class should be diminished but not exter¬ 
minated. 
[Oyster-shell Bark Louse, Strawberry Worm.] (Trans. 1 Ill. State Hort. Soc., 
1873, X. Ser., v. 7, p. 319.) 
There is no reason to fear serious damage from the oyster-shell bark 
louse, because of its natural enemies. 
Lime or Paris green are not advisable for the strawberry worm, as it 
works while the berries are on the vines. 
Introduction. (4th Ann. Rep. State Ent., Ill., [fifth of the series,] pp. iii, 
iv. 
Discusses continuation of treatise on elementary entomology in this re¬ 
port. 
Outlines of Entomology. Part First. Coleoptera. (4th Ann. Rep. State Ent., 
Ill., [fifth of the series,] pp. vii. — 199. 
Reprints matter from 3d Report [See '‘Outlines of Entomology. In¬ 
sects in General,”] and treats the Coleoptera of Illinois quite fully as to 
families, genera, and common species, with synopses of tribes, families, 
and most of the genera. 
Insect Eggs from Kansas. (Prairie Farmer, March 28, 1874, v. 45, p. 98.) 
Insect said to be doing much damage in young apple orchards. Sup¬ 
posed eggs are minute hymenopterous larva?. The work described is like 
that of the flat-headed apple-tree borer. 
Golden Tortoise Beetles. (Prairie Farmer. June 13, 1874, v. 45, p. 185.) 
Gassida aurichalcea sent as eating holes in sweet-potato leaves. These 
beetles are usually found on the under side of the leaves, which may be 
syringed with a solution of whale-oil soap, or with weak Paris-green 
water. 
With the Ad Interim Committee. - 
Delaware grape vines in Central Illinois badly eaten by grape vine 
Fidia. while Concords were not seriously injured. The former they ate 
through and through, while on the latter they avoided the woolly 
under surface. They can be jarred or brushed from the vines. Aspidio- 
tus harrisii here almost wholly takes the place of A. conchiformis , many 
trees being covered by them, but seemingly not .seriously injured. 
Yellow-billed cuckoo observed eating tussock moth larva?, shaving off 
with the sharp edge of his bill the hairy covering of the caterpillar be¬ 
fore swallowing it. This bird long known as one of the few that eat 
hairy caterpillars, but manner of eating them not previously recorded. 
