The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1871-08-11

InscctiyerOus birds.

| '"''tbNtfVUS bfIUSs
Don't kill the birds Don't kill the
Dlrds ~ should be engraven on every
shot gun finished for market. We
could get along without brook trout.
or river fishes; the hardy venison, and
delicious pheasant, and luclous reed
bird might be lost to our tables, and
yet we should survive; but the de.
s'rpction ofone Insectiverous Bird does
moro harm to the farmer than the boor
VINO shoots will ever do good. It sure.
~ Is not necessary at this day to 90 in. .
10 an argument to prove the incalcula.
Dle value Of the insect destroying bird;
those who need an argument would NOT
De convinced by it, and need the strong
arm of the law to prove the usefulness
of the birds.
In many cases, however, the shoot.
ing OF birds, which the laws seek to pro.
tect, Is through pure thoughtlessness.
a word or two to check the memory
may be useful. Every body com plains
OF the myriads of new bugs, snails, slugs.
worms, and infinite varieties of insects
which annually infest all our gardens,
destroy our roses, suck the life out of
our delicate shrubbery, fasten in mil.
ions upon our shade trees, and sting
the leaves until they roll up like Gig
arctic, drop down upon and stain to
rum the fine lace collar ofthe promena.
ders, flutter in the evening around our
candles, and lay the eggs that hatch the
moth which eat the carpet and Il thou
sand other annoyances which will oc.
cur to our readers; and amid all their
anathemas has it never occurred to
them to inquire if the killing off of the
lnsectiverous Birds has not had much
TO do with the destructive raid of name.
less and numberless insects which have
become and are, and are likely to re
man, the pests of the farmer, the gar
dener and the housekeeper?
You never can kill the insects-but if
you VIII let the birds alone they will
perform the work for you, and do more
TO protect your crops, your orchards,
your gardens and your shrubbery, than
all your hands and your chemical appli.
cations can accomplish. What are the
Few cherries, or the occasional seed of
corn or wheat which perchance they
pick up, compared with the riddance of
the army of nameless destroyers which
make our lives burdensome? "Don't
Kill the Birds! Don't kill the Birds ~
The only act in force in Columbia
County is that of April 2l, 1853; which
provides as follows:
ut shall not be lawful for any person
within this commonwealth to shoot.
Kill or in any way trap or destroy any
blue bird, swallow, martin, or other in
sectiverous birds at any season of the
year, under the penalty of ten dollars
And in another act, the names of NIGHT. |
hawk, whipporwill, finch, thrush, lark,
sparrow, wren, woodpecker, dove, bob.
alink, robin and startling, are included
under the general words, "other insec.
tiverous bird" And the nests and eggs
are equally protected.
OF these birds more careful and com-
plete list should be made, and severer
penalties provided against their de.
'truction, and general act passed, ex
-ensively published and impartially and
strictly enforced. They will repay us
or our care hundred fold, and the
music, the beauty and the pleasure of
heir gambols, we shall have for moth
ng. "Don't kill the birds! Don't kill
he birds !" T.