The state herald., 1890-08-01
SOME FOES OF gaaa1ss.
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1 o..l ~. n.s ssA+ 81 -.
q nir1s <Hlam isbeiSs-.xhs ssudv
Grown. aiAd Ma&nan : spAryovs.
The D, ASwks, sdI0wis-0yowth Of
piass 1A,tsms.<-osAs Work contsn.
Special wsshil ecn Lette4.
Ssnsrai Rusk-the pushty Wisconsin
AWernor who Is MOI Secretary az the
nav Department. ~ lgriculture-is no.
= member 81 the Cablet for the fun Of
u II. On entering upo HID duties he tool
tc6 bis coat and rolf nm his .leeves n
10 used 70 do, and iIfact still does, In
naytng time, and NV, Tin the second
year Of his reign, has got his big
team well in hand, Snows all of its
tsicks, and b making hem buckle to the
best they know.
have spoken Of lbs big team, but
1T Will b bigger. Geeral R,nk Is de.
tsrmtned that his DeRrtment shall be,
IN sixe and ef1ectiversss, what It really
b in importance, and Ss appropriations
COMMITTEES seems inclind to let him have
ms way. With larger,neans at his dis
'pccal hs will organize iew bureaus and
add largely to his skilled force Of ex-
perts, and bc ready TO c6sider and solve
Al problems which thefarmers Of the
UNITED States have to encounter.
One Of the most intending as we'll as
useful divhions Of the Department is
THAT OF oinithology and mam,nslogy,
presided oter by DR.. G. Hart Merriam.
The object Of 1t 10. as formers are fast
discovering. the study of Me economic
relations Of birds aud animals 10 agricul-
'turei what birds arc beneficial to the
farmer and what injurioe; and how
shall the firSt be protected and the last
destroyed SO, too, regarding animals
such ~ the Akunl:, the wooKhuck, pral.
ne dogs, and gophers. All the farmer
Wishes 10 know Is how to protect his
crops from all sorts Of pests I'D vermin,
whether of ihc air or the earth. Already
some Of tho Western States have raid
out not less than So0O, 900 in boanties for
the determination 81 gophers. A great
deal OF monay is now being spen toward
the determination VI the English spar
row, against which u ponderous counter
blast or bulletin has been issued by DIR.
Merriam arRl his assistants, it having
been decided that Passer doncsticyy Is 4
cure, indeed. and must 60 The good
effects Of tbs big bulletin against the
sparrow arc visible already, and the var
'of restriction and extermination has be-
gun. Doubtless the gopher bulletins
will accomplish the same results whsn
they are issued. The section of territory
inhabited by the three species of gophers
IL being carefully mapped by Dr. Merri-
am, and will form valuable and inter-
eating contribution tc the study of BIZ
caogy.
An elaborate work on hawks and owls
is in course OF preparation, which will
DO beautifully illustrated. and at the
came time will point out to the farmer
those birds which are wholly beneficial
or harmless; those which DO about rs
much good as harm, and those which are
noxious OF positively harmful. Out Of
the 70 different birds Of which the work
will treat 1t Is gratifying to know that
but three ii the noxious species are COM
mon in the United States.
The crow ID TO have volume dedi.
Gated to his habits snd goings on, and in
due time the crow blackbird, or purple
Erocklc, will be treated In the same way,
When this work is done all the farmer
= will have to do will be to get copies of
tho various biyd bulletins, read them,
and then follow tlSnir instructions. He
can thereafter shoot noxious birds Mt
sight with an enlightened understanding,
and protect those which aD beneficial.
Among txse are tho rose crested gros-
beak and tbs yellow billed cuckoo, which
have developed an appctie for Colorado
potato sSetleS md caterpillar Unfor.
tunase(y these useful and potato-bug.
fauc birds are not very numerous, but
sna bast can be made Of what we have.
Many curious and important fscts
about birds are discovered from an ex.
animation OF the contents Of their stpm-
achs, and to that end the division HAS
large and interesting collection Of bird
stomachs from all parts Of the country.
Tbs collection now numbers not far from
1900 stonachs. each put up in sspa.
ratio vial with alcohol, and labeled.
Nearly 1000 stomachs were added the
iast year. The collection contains the
.tomachs Of such birds rs sparrows Of Ill
kinds, warblers. blsckbirds. meadow
1arks, bobolinks, crows, owls, hawks,
swallows. wrens. bluebirds, robins, king
fishers, woodpeckers. hycatcher, and
many other birds. all Of which, In due
time. will he studied by the microscopic
the botanist, the xoologist, the ornithol
.ogist, ETC., etc., and the results recorded
for tie benefit OF the farmer An exam
nation Of the food and habits Of the
marsh hawk. for instance. proves that h
is very beneficial bind, doing far moro
good than harm. and that II should be
protected by law. The common screcch
owl 10 proved. by the ssmc means. to be
= good friend Of the farmers. II eats no
md Of mice and insects, asnd has rCently
taken to supping Oft II English spar
rowa This little owl slssild bc csoouT.
aged, md boys should bc taught TO III
IT. nests alone.
DR.. Merriam finds that he needs more
help 10 carry on the great work In which
lie Ia engaged. Letters pour in upun him
Mt tho rate Of i33 day; thousands of cir.
culnu have 10 bc sent out, and many
birds aud mammals are scnt TO the Office
for Identification. II permitted. DR..
Merriam proposes to undertake n syrtc-