Evening star., 1886-07-07
various Views ON Worms, SparrOws
And Other Subjects.


And Other Subjects.
To the Editor of The EVENING STAR
was made very angry by letter In last
saturdays STAR, and /, for one, will not have
my trees rid of caterpillars "upon receipt of an
official notice." II the laws and police of the
country Will not protect the insectivorous birds,
then say, let them rid the trees of caterpillars
themselves, or rather let the government at
tend to 1t.
There are numerous facts regarding the
slaughter of our insecteating and song birds
In pamphlet called Bulletin No. 1, of the
American Ornlthoogtst union, which, l sup
pose; u IS useless TO send to any editor, as 1t
"' ''' ""'' CIV s.i.W.
BEGINNING THE WORK TOO LATE.
To the Editor Of the THE EVENING STAR:
Your two articles on the "WOrm Question
was wholesome and to the point. Now let me
give you some facts in the matter. The mutila-
tion OF the trees was of minor importance pro-
vided it had been done two weeks earlier be-
cause they could soon renew their foliage if the
| worms had been destroyed before having other
nests but a great many of the nests were en-
| were, and are now, devastating ali the sur
rounding shrubbery of our beautiful yards and
parks. My yard is full OF them. took pains
to-day to count the number on one of the iron
posts on 15tn street and Mcpherson Park,
where they had collected to escape the rain.
One post had 50 worms on it, and the adjoining
| 'nes Iuily as many. There are Al posts on the
east side of this park SO you see there were
1000 worms on these Al posts alone Now,
when l tell you that the bodies of the large
Lrees adjoining were also alive with them, a
little calculation will show what we may ex-
pect from them next year unless the sparrows,
tthose valuable importationsD take the matter
up and go to work. 1t is evident we must have
this work done earlier in the season. For ten
Years have taken high step ladder early in
The season and cut Oft every nest on every tree
around my premises, and crushed the life out
OF every young worm; but this year the trees
were too large, and could not do it, and had
the misfortune ~ see them daily crawling away
at least Two weeks Gefore anyI Thing Was done.
do not profess 10 know who is responsible for
lhis serious neglect, but l do hope 1t may be
corrected. w,
NOT ONE BUT SEVERAL KINDS.
To the Editor of THE EVENING STAR:
have spent some weeks in your lovely city,
admlr1ng its many beauties, and see that you
are threatened with what, if you do not take
calamity to you. Your shade trees are being
attacked, not by one but by several destructi We
insects. The tent caterpillar is infesting your
e!ms and hndens, and is 1 notice also getting
into Wisterea and other creepers. Your NAPLES
are attacked by an insect which destroys the
leaves. Washington owes so much OF its beauty
10 its shade trees and would be fatally in
Jured If these should become nuisance by be-
ing infested by caterpilldrs that your authori-
lies cannot act too quickly to prevent SO great a
calamity. Yet see nothing done. Should not
the Agricultural department come to your
help? A CoUNTRYMAN
THE SPARROW, GAS AND THE CARRIAGE MEN.
To the Editor of TAE kvENING STAR.
have been pursing my wrath until the last
named has caused 1t to boil over. Will you
allow me small space to vent 1t. Ii SO (taking
them in the order named) imprimis the spar
row Is the cause of all the trouble with cater
pillars; II our sOlons will remove the restriction
against their destruction and allow the boys to
Trap them Tor pies we will soon have back our
fhraShprS
VINO will look after the caterpilars and at the
same time give the rising generation an oppor-
tunlty, many OF them for the first time, to see
our much nandsomer and swee eter-toued native
BIRDS. AS To the gas question, pure coal gas,
at the present price, will suit the community
much better than a reduction in the price of
the present commodity, and will probably
save "key" paralysis TO and much profanity
rom those who have occasion to turn it on.
Ana now Tor those who capped the climax and
Set this pot TO boilng-the garbage men. 1t re-
quires a note TO the health officer about once a
week to secure a visit from them; they will
then call again the following day and will be
no more seen until another complaint is made.
cannot give the cause of this neglect, out pre-
sumo it Is to be laid to lack OF sufficient iorce
Al this season Of the Year they xhuuId- make
tseir rounds at least twice week, and, with
cholera meEacing us from the other side of the
water. this matter should have attention.
" hiie l am auout it III giit add that the sound
oi the street sweeper has not been heard on
street noi invest least OF Iowa circle) for 10,
tnese many weeks. BOURGEOIS.
NOT sPARROws, BUT WOMEN AND BOYS
To the Editor of The EVENING STAR:
Last February and March there appeared
various short accounts in the Washington
papers about the destruction OF birds-iu the
New York and Boston papers long articles on
this subject AS natural consequence there
are more letters in the papers ON the destruc-
ton vi trees by worms aud caterpilars. The
generality OI people, with all their superior ed
ucatlon In nigh schools and colleges, seem TO be
ignorant of u TACT in natural history, that all
BIRDS, except the larger species-such as pei
tons, haws, etc. are more or less insect eaters
and every bird that is killed only gives nuIner-
oug bugs and caterpiliars u chance TO live and
multiply. After all that has appeared in lne
papers this winter about the wholesale de-
htrucl1On OF our most useful and beautiful
birds for millinery purposes, the Horticultural
society is still trying to lay the blame on the
sparrow, "because tney are ghters aud two OF
them were once seen TO whip a crow" therefore
they are driving CH our singing blrds. In tact
the worst enemies our birds have to contend
with are not sparrows, but women and small
boys. 1he boys maliciOuSiy suoot with their
slng-sh0ts or Oean-shooters every thing tnat
lies. Iney make no distinction between a
sp arrow or an OriOle. or they rob their nests
Which is quite AS cruel II certainly does not
De;ieht either the boy or the world TO have his
collection o. eggs in his bureau drawer, which ii
let alone In the nests, would produce birds TO,
assist Ill riddiuk Tie trees c,Lerpiilars and
enliven the world with their song. Then the
women are indirectly the cause or Inc wholesale
destruction Of birus which has been going on
tor sewers years past. In order to ornament
IuelE uedUSeaT uAO pOuOeF W Luelr vanity The
sweetest sOuEsters and most industrious worm
catchers have been killed by thousands, even
millions. 1t is estimated that five million birds
have ueen sacrificed annually for this purpose
alone As tnls slaughter has been going on for
lour or hve years, there is consequently great
increase IN worms, caLerpiliars and insects. Be-
sides this, our song birds that 20 south tor a
winter home are kiiied in great numbers by the
negroes and sold as food. The eggs Oh teras and
guils, small As they are, are used as food besides
they are i'll such demand lOr their piumage that
IN some districts they are actually extinct. The
sparrow Is therefore innocent; he has not driven
away our song birds. Instead Ot imposing a
heavy nne on tnose people who will not have
their trees r1d OF cAterpIiarS as u letter in The
STAR recently proposes, II would De lar better
10 go TO the root OF the evil and impose a heavy
nne on those found shooting or killing birds,
selling stuffed birds and wings ornaments
for hat Or cloLhes and also u me on every iuui-
vidual, woman or child, that is seen win even
birds wing as an ornament For unlortu-
nateiy the fashion may revlve-And there
should be police reg ulatlOn notifying every
boy 10 desisL from the pleasure Ot rOuDlng nests
aud shooting birds under penalty Oh u heavy
nne. In tact, pubic opInlon laws and legisla-
ton must come " the rescue oI The lew remain
Ing birds before tney are eXtermlnaLed. Ii tney
had only been projected before There would not
be now this outcry auout worms and caLerpil-
lars l.. +. h.
Pittsburg's Natural Sewers.
ANOTHER NATURAL WONDER ADDED TO HER
ALREADY NOTABLE LIST.
In addition to natural gas and other modern
yunndarR PlttShnru had