The log cabin Democrat. [volume] (Conway, Ark.) 1901-1982, 1908-06-04
SOUTHERN
AGRICULTURE
BIRDS AND BOIL WEEVIL.
Some of Our Feathered WeeviI Enc
mics

Some of Our Feathered WeeviI Enc
mics.
U. S. Department of Agriculture,
Biological Survey-Bulletin 20: In
view of the rapid spread of the cotton
boil weevil in the Southern States and
the enormous damage to the cotton
crop through its ravages, a 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-
inmate 1t, yet the service they render
In controlling II Is of great import
ance. 1t has been discovered that
bers of the pest and among the wee
vil-eatlng kinds are 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 IL 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, 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 8 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 IL 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 a result of investigations car
ried on internationally during five sea-
sons, AS species of our native birds
have been found to feed on the weevil.
as follows: Upland plover, kildees,
quail nighthawk, scissor-tailed fly
catcher, kingbird, crested fycatcher,
Phoebe, older flycatcher olove-sided
fycatcher, least fycatcher cowbird,
red-winged blackbird, meadow lark,
Western meadow lark, orchard or1ole,
Baltimore oriole, bullock oriole, brew
er 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, uninterrupted
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 weevile in summer is wrought by
swallows and orioles; in winter, by
blackbirds and meadow larks. 1t Is
not to be supposed that the foregoing
list includes all the birds which feed
upon the boil weevil. Further investi-
cation will doubtless add number
of species to the list and will show
that birds which ordinarily eat but
few weevile will, under certain condi-
tons, destroy good many. The
funds at the command of the Biologi-
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 wild
ening it's scope so as to include the
regions recently invaded by the boil
weevil.-Arthur H. Howell, Assistant
Biologist, Biological Survey.