The log cabin Democrat., 1908-07-09
BIRDS AND BOIL WEEVIL.
Some of Our Feathered Weevil Enc
 mics.


 U. S. Department of Agriculture. Biological Survey-Bulletin 29: h view of the rapid spread of the cotton boil weevil in the Southern States and the enormous damage to the cotton crop through it's ravages, study of the relations of our native birds to the pest is of increasing importance. Investigation of the problem during | several seasons has shown that while birds can not be depended upon to stay it's progress, much less to exter- minate it, yet the service they render in controlling it is of great import ance. It has been discovered that several species of birds eat great num- bers of the pest and among the wee vil-eating kinds are a few whose num- bers 1t is believed can be greatly aug mented through careful protection and by providing them with safe nest ing places.
 The relation of birds to the boil weevil has been studied by the Bio- logical Survey during portions of four seasons, and by the Bureau of EntO- mology during portions of two sea- sons. Seventeen species of birds were examined during the seasons of 1903 and 1904 by the Bureau of Entomolo- gy, with the result that II species were found to feed on the weevil. In November and December, 1904 Yer non Bailey of the Biological Survey took up the study of the problem, and, as a result of the examination of 354 stomachs collected by him, g addition al species of birds were added to the list of boil weevil destroyers. The work was carried on in the summer and fall of 1905 by the present writer, 62 species of birds being collected and examined and additional spe- cies found to feed on the weevil. The investigation was continued, also by the writer, in August and September. 1906, and from February II to May 3, 1907. Fifteen species were added to the list of weevil-eating birds by the investigations in the past two seasons, details of which will be given later.
 As result of investigations car ried on intermittently during five sea sons, 43 species of our native birds have been found to feed on the weevil, as follows: Upland blower, kildees, quail, nighthawk, scissor-tailed fly catcher, kingbird, crested fycatcher, Phoebe, older flycatcher, olove-sided flycatcher, least flycatcher, cowbird, red-winged blackbird, meadow lark, Western meadow lark, orchard oriole, Baltimore oriole, bullock oriole, brew CT blackbird, bronzed grackle, great tailed grackle, Savanna sparrow, lark sparrow, white-throated sparrow, field sparrow, wowhee, cardinal, pyrrhu- loxia, painted bunting, dickcissel, pur- pie martin cliff swallow, bank swal- low, barn swallow, white-rumped shrike, yellow warbler, yellow-breast- ed chat, American pipit, mockingbird, brown thrasher, Carolina wren, tufted titmouse, black-crested titmouse.
 Twenty-three of the foregoing spe- cies feed on the weevil principally in summer and twenty species principal ly in winter. The greatest destruction of weevie in summer is wrought by swallows and orioles; in winter, by blackbirds and meadow larks. It is not to be supposed that the foregoing list includes all the birds which feed upon the boil weevil. Further investi- gation will doubtless add a number of species to the list and will show that birds which ordinarily eat but few weevile will, under certain condi- tons, destroy a good many. The funds at the command 1.-the Biolog,- cal Survey for this investigation have been very limited, but it is hoped that means will be forthcoming not only for continuing the work, but for wid- ening it's scope so as to include the regions recently invaded by the boil weevil-Arthur H. Howell, Assistant Biologist, Biological Survey.