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

The grasshopper infiiction is simply
disarrangement OF the great balance OF
nature They come from a region where |
there are no trees, consequently no in
sectiverous birds. In the great battle of |
life the withdrawal of a single element
OF destruction gives an undue advantage |
which is manifested at once. It is cal-
culated that single plant, if its enemies
and competitors were Withdrawn, would
in few years cover the whole world.
Look at it! The progeny ofa single
female grasshopper, increasing fifteen
fold. would in eight years produce fce
6izlionSgrasshoppers
That beats frontier money-lender's
rates of interest And nothing else
can.
If then prairie chicken gobbles
grasshopper he gobbles the great~grand-
mother of five billion little red-legged
possibilities. And when said prairie
chicken lives oft grasshoppers for 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:
''Insects are increasing with the de-
crease oil insectiverous birds. This de-
ereasect birds is traced directly to the
agency of man. Few persons deny
! the agency OF birds in keeping down
insects. ] will give q lew examples
9 from my note book. Ia May and June
+ 1875, | examined the stomachs of a great
many prairie chickens, which had shot
for that purpose, to ascertain definitely
the nature Of their food. No |, had 5s
grasshoppers and nine other insects in
a its stomach. No. 2, had GA grasshop-
pers, and 16 other insects and worms
No. 3,shad rs grasshoppers, aad nine
other insects Besides these insects.
e there was large mass of the same kind
It OF materials that was too much macer,
IS ated to be counted. The stomachs O
: quails contained from 40 to so grasshop.
It pers and other insects, besides 4 large
: mass that could not be distinguished. Ii
previous years, when the migrating
Is grasshoppers were not in the State, tht
e contents OF the stOmachs Of these birds
< were sill largely made up of variou
g kinds ot insects"
. Mr.. Anghey also speaks good wor'
= for the snipe family. He says:
r. No family of birds are so little appre
II ciated for their lnsectiverous qualities a
] plovers and snipe. They are represente
,e in Nebraska by at least 16 species. Th
er,f. I've oh
il enormous. / have found 80 to 45 insect
Se and worms in the stomachs OF one sma
.st specie. [Aegiailtts semipalanatus
ks Many of these plovers and snipe spen
es the cold months in the Gulf States, ar
es come North in the spring to hatch. Fo
,r, merly, they were exceedingly abunda
" in the State. but they are now becomir
" reduced very fast by mnrderons hunter
10 Our thrushes, blue birds, wren
~ swallows. etc. all feed almost entirely
,s- insects. The blackbirds ana orioles th
ill are charged with con6scating SO inu
ell grain will be found on examination,
eat make insects nine-tenths of their food.
DO Now suppose the insectiyerous bir
TO were left to increase until there we
at 1000 to the square mile Each bird,
W. a low calculation, willsrequire 100
ZEN sects for food each day This would {
! stroy 100000 insects per day on ca
mt square mile. and in month 3.000,0'
or and in five months 100000. But
ons sectiverous birds really consume nea
the 200 than 100 insects each day, and
ona this rate 500 such birds to the SOU
ac- mile would accomplish the same rest
rite Ii birds are increased to the num
I'M. proposed, there will be insects enou
on to furnish them food for many years