176 
HALF HOUES WITH INSECTS. [Packard. 
pel the idle and shiftless to clear their farms and gardens 
of noxious animals.” We trust that those interested will 
not suffer this matter to drop, but that a law correcting this 
abuse of privilege in letting these destructive insects run 
riot may be framed and passed. 
Among the natural enemies of the canker worm is the 
Calosoma scrutator (Fig. 139), a beautiful ground beetle 
which ascends the trunks of the trees and devours the cater¬ 
pillars. Certain wasps, particularly the Eumenes, store up 
the caterpillars in their nests. The Tachina fly, and an ich¬ 
neumon fly, are also said to 
prey on them, while hogs and 
fowl devour the chrysalides. 
Next to the parasitic ichneu¬ 
mons, however, the smaller 
birds are the most efficacious 
in destroying them. I extract 
as follows from a paper in the 
“American Naturalist” (May, 
1874) important testimony on 
this point:— 
“I am indebted to Mr. C. 
J. Maynard of Ipswich for the 
following information upon the 
birds which devour the canker worm. He informs me that in 
the course of his investigations he has opened the stomachs 
of some three thousand birds. 
‘ In answer to your questions relative to birds eating can¬ 
ker worms and the larvae of other injurious insects I would 
say that upon examining my notes, I find that I have taken 
canker worms from the stomachs of the following species :— 
red-eyed vireo ( Vireo olivaceus) , song sparrow ( Melospiza 
melodia ), chickadee (Parus atricapillus) , scarlet tanager. 
(Pyranga rubra), robin ( Turdus migratorius) , black billed 
cuckoo ( Coccygus erythrophthalmus) , wood pewee ( Contopus 
16 
