The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-03-22
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The April number of the atlantic opens with
three chapters Of Colonel Higginson's novel of
'Malbone." The other contributions are
"The Mission of Birds" "Autobiogrsphv of q
Shaker" "Run Wild" "a Strange Arrival"
GA Carpet-bagger in Pennsylvania" elbow
we Grow in the Great NorthwestI' "Our
Inebriates, Classified and Clarified" "Door-
step Acquaintance;' "The Pacific Railroad
OPEN" ga Ride with Mad Horse in a Freight
Carr" To-day" Reviews and Literary
Notices.
We quote as follows from the article en-
titled "The Mission of Birds":-
The measure worm Of the Middle States, so
successfully driven from the SQUARES of New
York by the English Sparrow, but still ravaaing
the parks OF Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Wash.
ington, has two very powerful enemies among
our native birds, which would be abundantly
able to keep them in check were they them
selves unmolested. They are the Cedar Bird
aud the Purple Grake. Unfortunately, both of
these birds are under the ban of the unrefecting
and prejudiCed; one because he helps himself
to our cherries, the other because he is
accused Of making tree with our corn fields at
ha1vesttime.
The canker-worm still riots in almost undis-
turbed possession of our orchards. Each year
extends the area OF its raYagcs, and witnesses
the loss of millions Of dollars worth of fruit,
the growth and development of which it pre-
vents. We have many native birds which
would prey upon and keep down these pests
most of them, too, harmless and inoifenslve
species but the murderous gun and the still
more destructive cat nave so thinned their ranks
that they are now too few to cope with the
worst enemies of the orchard. Yet there are
powerful auXliaries whom we might call
In most ettectually where cirCumstan-
ces favor. The domestic pigeon has been shown,
by the testimony of Or. Jetires Wyman, to feed
its young with enormous quantities of these
worms. And il is a wel'estabiished fact that
gardens and orchards protected by the inmates
of the dovecot have been known to be kept free
from them, when all around the trees of other
grounds were devastated. The common do
mestic fowls also, under favorable ciIcumstan-
ces, are of great service IN destroying the
cankerworm. But their presence cannot gene
rally be permitted, nor their services made
The Blue Jay, whose good name and fame our
space will not permit us here TO vindicate, has
recently been rendering very valuable and eff
cient services 10 the dWellers on the lake
shore OF Ohio, Our venerable friend,
DR., Jared p. Kirkland, OF Cleveland. informs us
| that the tent caterpillars-C CiStOeampa ameri.
| cdnd-which with us are such pests in the
| orchards have been attacked and destroyed by
| the BlueJay SO thoroughly that hardly a speci-
men can now, be found on the entire lake shore.
| These good deeds Of the Jay, we are happy to
add, are appreciated by the enlightened culti-
vators of that State, who overlook their depre-
dations for the sake OF the greater good they do,
and are wiser in their generation than our own
|
The cabbage butterfly of Europe, whose larvae
are so destructive that according to Mudie
were it not for the sparrow not single cabbage
| would be raised III any part of Great Britain,
! has made its appearance in large numbers on
| our shores. Ia the province of New Bruins
| wick and i'll the neighborhood of Calais, this
unwelcome visitor is already abundant. Year
by yeari it is extending the area of its depreda.
tions, and, each year brings it nearer to our
this new epeny5 We have nc no spar! spar!
any of our native birds will show them
selves equal to the task of its destruc.
tion is, we fear, hardly to be hoped;
so long as the gun and the cat are permitted to
restrict their numbers to the minimum, we nav
not anticipate any present or efTectual relief
from our natural protectors whose services We
repay with ingratitude or neglect.
Somewhere about the close of the winter of
1866, late In February or early in March, q pair
OF Black throated Blue Warblers-a blrd sup
posed never to make its appearatce with US
before May-took up their abode in the small
! yard in the rear of the writer's house in Boston.
Whence they could have come at that season of
! the year we were unable to conjecture. They
were plump, lively, and active and in excellent
condltlon every way. They at once made them
selves at home, SEARCHING every crack and
! Creylce in and about the roof. lattice and out
oullGlng Tor the eggs and larv@ OF insects of
Whlch they evidently found an abundance.
After having thoroughly explored our premises
and exhausted its supply, they proceeded to
those OF our neighbors, but returned each night
TO roost On the cothes-line stretched from an
upper window to the top of high trellis. This
they continued TO do for week or more. After
this we did not see them again.
Their visit to us was followed by notable con-
| sequences. The sWarms of hairy caterpillars
that every year before their advent had so
aoounded as TO be an intolerable nuisance en-
| urely disappeared, and have not since been
seen. Thelr entire race seems TO have been
e&terminated by our two little visitors. These
War0lers, unfortunately for us, are not residents
| mere, even in summer, but fit rapidly through
our state in their spring and fall migrations
| But the immense service they are capable Of
doing, and which they must do somewhere, is
shown by what single pair accomplished with
us in the short space of week.