Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-01-25
BIRDS THAT ARE GOOD AND BAD.
How Their Stomachs are Giving Evil
dence For and Against Themselves.

How Their Stomachs are Giving Evil
dence For and Against Themselves.
THE DIVISION OF oRSIrHoLoaY IS EXAMINING
THEIR DIGESTIVE ORGANS BY THoUsANps-rHE
HAWK AND OWL UNJUsrLY MALIoSEp-A YER
DICT AGAINST THE CROW.
When representative Of The STAR visited
the Agricultural department the other day he
learned that the collecting OF stomachs on a
large scale is at present engaging a consider
able part Of the attention of the division OF
ornithology and mammalogy. Birds stomachs
are the ones wanted. and the m magnitude OF the
deal in these may be surmised when it is ment-
Toned that not less than TO- 900 stomachs of feath
cred creatures have been gathered within the last
few months. They come-this myriad Of stom-
achs-from all parts of the country. in bottles
and jars, with alcohol to keep them. Most Of
them are sent in by bird collectors who are in
correspondence with the department, but many
are contributed by the travelling agents of the
division and even by small farmers boys, who
are paid SO much apiece for the birds.
THE STOMACH OBSERVED.
The process of bringing a stomach under
scientific observation is very simple indeed.
When the bird is secured it is deprived OF that
important digestive organ. and the latter, with
its contents. is placed in bottle of alcohol,
tag having first been attached to it by means o (
a strong thread sewn through the outer coat
ing or with fine wire. On the tag In each
case is written the name of the bird. the local
ity in which it was killed. and the date of the
Staying. The bottle is then forwarded to the
pathological division. where il is in due course
examined This is quite complicated per-
formance. First. the stomach is cut open
and its contents separated into three portions
animal. veget able, and mineral. The mineral
comes in with the pebbles that are found in the
stomachs of birds. BY investigating the vege-
table and animal parts it is discovered what that
particular bird feeds upon. Of course, the
microscope IL used. In the instance OF n car
nivorous bird like the hawk mice and such
small-fry are apt to be discovered. If the crea-
lures eaten are found digested the teeth are
very likely to remain and they do just as well
for purposes of identification. for the teeth OF
an animal are Its most distinguishing charac-
teristic. Show geological expert tooth and
he will tel. you very quickly not only the spe-
cies of the beast to which 1t once belonged but
also the variety. Each kind of mouse for in
stance, has a tooth of a structure peculiar to
itself. 1t happens fortunately that the tooth of
mammal is. owing to Its protection by the en-
amel, the most enduring portion of the body;
IN fact, II Is practically lndestructible.
THE BIRD AND THE FARMER.
The object of this stomachic investigation is
to discover something definite as to the eco
nOmic relations of the birds and the farmers
In other words, it is desired to know what birds
are enemies of the agriculturist and what ones
his friends-how much harm is done to the
crops by each feathered suspect and how much
good. Special attention has been given to
hawks, owls and crows. owing to the excep-
tlonal conspicuousness of those birds in this
particular relation. Owls and hawks are gen.
orally regarded by farmers as adversaries to be
destroyed relen.lessly. And yet the nvestiga-
lions of the Agricultural department have
proved that these birds are the best possible
friends to the tilers of the soil. Very few
species feed on poultry; nearly all confne them
selves to mice and insects which themselves de-
YOUR the grain. Among these latter are some
OF the largest varieties of hawks and owls.
And yet bounties for the killing of these vaiu-
able creatures are now paid in several states.
In Pennsylvania within eighteen months 500
600 was expended for the scalps of owls and
hawes at fifty cents each, plus twenty cents as
a fee to a notary taking the affidavit. This
amount represents
THE DESTRUCTION OF 1851 BIRDS.
Granting that 5000 chickens were killed in
Pennsylvania by hawks and owls during those
eighteen months, worth Is cents apIece-a lib
eral estimate, considering that chickens thus
taken are usually baby ones-it will be seen
that the state expended $4,000 to save Sl,s75
But this is only the beginning of the loss
Every owl and hawk destroys. say. 1000 mice
or the equivalent in insects per annum. This
means that each bird is worth $50 year to
the farmers, reckoning the damage done by
each mouse in that time at two cents. For the
year and a half each owl or hawk is worth $50
therefore. Figure it up aud you will find that
this signifies a total loss of So 947OOO In
other words, for every dollar saved 90 IO5 was
thrown away. Necessarily, it will take MANY
years to repair the damage. Meanwhile. one Of
natures means for keeping down the numbers
of mice and insects having been DESTROYED
these huv hpn llx,o nd
even a1armingly increasing and will continue
to do SO until the balance Is restored. Happily,
the bounty law in the Keystone state has been
repealed, owing to the efforts of the division
of ornithology.
MORE THAN 1000 sroMAcHs OF HAWKS
have already been examined All sorts of
things are found in them-mice, grasshoppers,
small birds, spiders, shell fish and snails The
results are put down, as is also done with other
birds Investigated, IN tabulated form. On one
side Is put down the evidence in favor OF the
creature, and on the other side the evidence
against ii. When the work on that kind of bird
Is finished balance is struck, and it Is deter
mined thereupon with considerable accuracy
by what percentage it is beneficial or otner-
wise. Work on the hawk has been practically
completed, and its percentage is found to be
80 per cent good and 10 per cent bad-a pretty
good certificate of character for that much
abused highhyer. The same remarks NAV be
repeated with reference to the owl. They are
most emphatically the farmers best friends
THOSE WICKED CROWS.
Alas, that 1t should be necessary to couple
this vindication OF the hawk and owl with con-
demnation of the crow. All that has been said
against that wicked bird scarce covers its in
iqulty. What does it not do that is bad? 1t is
i'll truth, the most disreputable OF feathered
characters. Only recently-and this fact has
never been Notwithstanding new and
dreadful has been discovered against it, The
division Of ornithology has found that it is the
great distributor of poison ivy, as well as OF
the poison tree, to approach which is likely to
result IN severe illness. The crow is very fond
of the seeds of these noxious vegetables and
after passing through the birds digestive sys-
TEN they terminate. This fact has been as
certained through the finding of these seeds
in great numbers in the crows stomachs and
by planting the seeds. which did not fail to
come up vigorously. In addition to this in
Iquity the crow not only devours the grain but
sectivorous birds. The only thing to be said
In the crows favor Is that he gobbles cut
worms and eats carrion. Work on the crow has
not yet been brought to a conclusion, but the
verdict will undoubtedly be very much against
him.
The division has also paid some attention
TO investigating the woodpecker; but that has
not gone tar enough to make it possible to
state any conclusion. The assertion may be
ventured, however, that the woodpecker is
beneficial, particularly to the forests 1t preys
you see. upon the grubs that injure trees May
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