The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1874-06-04
gusecE-EaIinE Birds.

From The New York Evening Post.
We have before us prize essay, by
Frank H. Palmer, entitled ." Insect-Eat-
ing Birds the Farmers Best Friends,
published at Boston under the auspices
Of the Massachusetts, Society for the Pre-
vention Of Cruelty to Animals. Insects
are the pest and bane Of American fruit
culture; they spoil our cherries; they sting
our pears and apples, and render them
worthless; they prevent our plum trees
from producing mature fruit; they punct-
urc our grapes; they destroy the beauty
OF our roses; they devour our green vege-
tables, and are mischievous in other
ways Mr. Palmer maintains that this is
the result Of our own improvidence.-
1t Is, he says, because man has de-
stroyed their natural enemies that insects
become pest, and will cease to trouble
him only in proportion as he shall restore
the balance Of which nature shows the
necessity. During the past few years,
lac remarks, there has been steady de-
crease in the number Of our native birds
in all parts IT the country where man has
formed his settlements, and consequently
there has been an immense increase Of
The pamphlet before us contains list of
the birds which feed on insects OF the
insects hurfful to garden vegetables he
makes thirty different species; of those
injurious to the apple and apple tree, sew
entv-five. Shades trees have Il hundred
kinds of insects enemies, and VIII eat
and other grains fifty. We require a
very considerable army Of birds to pro
tect the husbandman against the ravages
OF these pests, and there seems to be every
reason why the killing of birds that feed
on the insect tribes should be punishable
10y the tribunals.
But we began this only with view of
copying what Mr.. Palmer has to say Of
providing proper habitations for these
friends OF the farmer. Here Is what he
says on this point:
Next to the law, the most important
measure for the protection Of birds is the
putting up of accommodations for them
and thus inducing them to settle on our
estates. There is no reason why every
one who has hafacre of land should not
have two or three pairs Of birds nesting
thereon. Perhaps many do not realize
what simple accommodations swallows,
bluebirds, sparrows, wrens and other birds
are eager to avail themselves of. Sim
pie and inexpensive arrangements are
just rs satisfactory to them as the most
elegant and costly ornamental house; and
no one need be prevented by the fear of
expense from furnishing dwelling places,
rent free, 10 these interesting tenants
With few simple tools and box or two
which any grocer viii give you, d bird
house may be made of almost any size or
shape desired. Should you wish it highly
ornamental nothing is better than to cover
it with rustic work, which may be done
with the aid of a wild grapevine cut in
pieces of the right length and nailed on.
Such bird-bouse costs little or nothing
save the time required to make it and
this slight expense will be amply repaid
by the satisfaction Of doing a good deed
There are many simple contrivances
which may be prepared and put up in five
minutes, and will serve the birds as well
a anything else At. the opening of the
present season we put up four tin cans,
such as are used tor canning tomatoes,
having first filled small hole in the lower
end to prevent the collection of water.
Three of the four were Immediately occu-
pied by bluebirds. One pair laid five
eggs, four of which Matched, and the
young grew to maturity The other two
pairs each had two broods. four eggs to
each brood, and all Matched but three
Of the young died before growing up
Seventeen young bluebirds and their pa
rents-siX in -twenty-three in
sect eating birds-were thus induced TO
make their homes in our orchard, the pa |
rent birds for about five months. and the |
young say about three months Certain F.!
~, at very low estimate. each bird /
would average twenty insects a dsv for |
the food of these birds consists entirely |
of insects. At this rate the old birds /
would have destroyed during their stay /
here Is, 900 insects, and the young sc. 900 |
which gives a total of As, 500 insects |
destroyed from our own and our neigh /
boris trees and it did not take us half an /
hour to prepare and put up these simple |
accommodations. Are not these facts ell /
oquent? Then how interesting to watch /
the housekeeping arrangements of these /
beautiful little neighbors to hear their I
welcome song when winter seemed still /
with Us to hear them debate the situa-
ton, and finally decide in favor of our
apple tree :; to see them gathering up
grasses and cotton and feathers and
weaving them together into bed of down
for the protection of their early laid eggs.
to watch their love making, and all their
gentle, atfectlonate ways towards each
other; their jealousy of intruders, and
their solicitous care of their eggs during
the period of incubation their final Joy
when the young break the shells and are
born TO the light; and their untiring de-
votlon IN obtaining choice bits of insect
food for the nourishment of their off
spring? Truly here is beauty at our
door yard, and Poetry has taken up her
abode IN our apple-tree.
''Purplemartins, and other members
of the swallow tribe, will readily occupy
boxes pat up for their use Wrens, too.
are interesting friends, and are easily in
duced to settle with US. We know of a
case where pair of bluebirds found a
happy home in an old beaver hat which
adj blown up and lodged in. an apple
tree. A good bird-house may be made of
a mediums sized fower-pot, with the hole
somewhat enlarged and the top covered
with board. Will not every one who
has dozen rods of land make bird
house Of some kind, and thus help to re-
store the proper proportions of the feath-
cred and insect tribe"