The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-03-11
FOOD FOR BIRDS.

At the weekly meeting of the Rhode Is
land society for the encouragement of do
nestle industry, on the 18th of February
in Providence, paper was read by Pro-
fessor Jenckes of Brown University on
''The Food of Birds" The paper was
founded on extensive observation made in
1858 on the robin, several thousand spec
linens having been examined during the
season. The observations were made on
birds killed in and near the city, and in the
country, to discover if there was any diff
ference in the food according to locality.
Robins were killed during every month in
the year and their gizzards examined, spec
ial examination being made on those killed
in the morning, noon and afternoon.
The robin usually begins to appear in
March, only male birds, however, coming
until April, when the females appear. In
the morning, the stomachs are usually par
TALLY empty, the food being macerated with
traces of insects. In the afternoon the
stomachs are well filled, sometimes two or
three hundred insects being found more or
less dgested, and frequently thirty or forty
of the Larvae were alive. In the early part
of the season, the main food is the Larvae of
BibliS albopermis, there not being par
ticle of vegetable food to be found In
June, during the moulting season, pulpy
fruits appear, the cherry, strawberry, etc. !,
the mixed diet continuing until September,
when the food becomes exclusively insect
again. In November the bird migrates, a
few remaining during the winter months,
when they obtain somewhat precarious
subsistence on the bayberry, priyet and jun
iper berries. He therefore believed the
robin to be one of the friends of the farmer,
doing excellent work Two years ago lie
noticed robin briskly at work under an
elm tree near the university, and on inyes-
tigation discovered that it was feeding on
the black caterpillar, and he had several
helpers. Observation will show that the
robin, as well as other birds, is, in the main
a feeder on insects, and seems to be en-
titled to whatever else he may court. The
JiJlis exists in the Larvae state in the spring
months and then develops into IL fly, which
exists two or three weeks, despoils its eggs,
then dies.
On query relative to the crow, the pro.
lessor said he was a good insect
feeder, and he considered him genuine
friend of the farmer. He had found in the
gizzard of a young crow in the nest BOO
worms, which had been gathered by the pa
rent bird.
General Pitman inquired as TO the large
white worms wnlch were annoying the
South county, eating the grass and almost
wholly destroying it. Professor Jonckes
said that was a peculiar insect 1t bur
rowed deep and existed five or six years in
a Larvae state, and would not be devoured
readily by birds unless they were turned VI
for them by the plough.
A stranger present thought birds were
somewhat mischievous, and it might be
questioned whether they, in the long run
were advantageous. Professor Jenckes
read an article from Casslus M. Clay, who
made observations on his farm, most elo-
oauently pleading for the birds, as he sci
forth the quality of worms, and insects ia
ken off, making an enormous number du-
ring the year.
Several gentlemen indicated the crow,
saying that its tendency to pull corn could
be effectually met by Earring the corn. This
will also prevent the depredations OF the