The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1877-02-08
SAVE THE BIRDS.

The grasshopper infection is simply
a disarrangement OF the great balance or
nature They come from q region where
there are no trees, consequently no In
sectiverous birds Ia the great battle of |
life the withdrawal OF q single element
OF destruction gives an undue advantage |
which is manifested at once. Il is cali
culated that 8 single plant il its enemies |
and competitors were Withdrawn, would |
IN few years cover the whole world.
Look at it The progeny ola single
female grasshopper, increasing fifteen
fold. would in eight years produce ice
| billion grasssoppers
That beats q frontier money-lender's
rates of interest And nothing else
can.
IF then q prairie chicken gobbles a
grasshopper he gobbles the great~grand
mother of five billion little red-legged
possibilities. And when said prairie
chicken lives Oft grassnoppers Tor a
month or two, he nips in the bud more
grasshoppers than Grants ofice-holders
have stolen dollars.
Mr. Samuel Anghey writing to the
Omaha Republican says:
'sInsects are increasing with the de-
crease oil insectiyerous birds This de-
ereasee CT birds is traced directly to the
} agency OF man. Few persons deny
! the agency OF birds III keeping down
insects. / will give q lew examples
: from my note book. Ia May and June
+ 1875, [ examined the stomachs Of great
many prairie chickens, which / had shot
for that purpose, to ascertain definitely
the nature Of their food No /. had So
grasshoppers and nine other Insects Ia
a its stomach. No. 2, had 81 grasshop-
pers, and 16 other insects and worms.
: No. 3, had rs grasshoppers, aad nine
other insects. Besides these insects.
2 there was large mass Of the same kind
t OF materials that was too much macer-
8 ated to be counted The stomachs o.
= quails contained from 40 TO so grasshop.
t pers and other insects, besides a large
: mass that could not be distinguished. In
previous wears, when the migrating
s grasshuppers were not in the State. thf
g contents OF the stomachs OF these bird:
/ were ssill largely made up OF various
z kinds ot insects"
. Mr.. Anghey also speaks good wore
!. for the snipe family. lie says:
r. No family OF birds are so little appre
d ciated for their lnsectiverous qualities a
] ployers and snipe. They are representa-
10 in Nebraska by at least 16 species. TIL
81. 4
il enormous. have found 80 TO d insect
&c and worms IN the stomachs OF one sma
st specie. Aegiaistts septpatnsatus.
IS Many OF these plovers and snipe spen
es the cold months in the Gulf States, an
IS come North in the spring 10 hatch. Fol
n. merly, they were exceedingly abundal
" in the State. out they are now becomir
" reduced very fast by murderons hunter
b. Our thrushes, blue birds, wren
~ swallows. etc. ali feed almost entirely
as insects. The blackbirds ana orioles tn
ill are charged with conhscatng SO mus
ell grain will he iourd on examination,
,at make insects nine-tenths of their TODD.
no Now suppose the insectiverous Dir
to were left to increase until there we
AT 900 to the square mile. Each bird.
W. low calculation, willsrequire 100
zen sects for food each day. This would
] stroy 100000 insects per day on ca
mn square mile. and in month 5000, OK
or and IN five months Is, 600. 900. But
ans sectiverous birds really consume near
the 200 than 100 insects each day, and
inc this rate 500 such birds to the SOU;
ac- mile would accomplish the same resi-
tito II birds are increased to the numb
M proposed. there will be insects enou
on to furnish them food for many years.