Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1892-03-19
NOTES AND COMMENTS.

He Italians, 1iBdIng Argentine does
not welcome immigrants from their coun-
try and the United States manifesting a
dispositionfo close its doors TO them,
are now spying OUT the ground in Aus
tralia with view of flooding that con-
tinent with Italy's surplus population.
Recent discussions In the Australian
press do not encourage the idea.
SOME modern philosopher has given in
these twelve lines the summary of life:
Seven years in childhood's sport and
play, Z; seven years in school from day
10 day. IA; seven years at trade or col
lego life, Fl; seven years to find place
and wife, %; scvon years to building up
yard given, 80; seven years to business
hardly driven, AZ seven years for some
wild goose chase, 40; seven years for
wealth aud bootless race, Sc; seven years
for boarding for your heir, S.; seven
years in weakness, pain and care, 20;
shen die AMI go you should know where.
PRoF. PUTNAM. chief of the Depart
ment of Elmo ogy of the Worlds Fair,
has perfected his plans for an illustra-
ton of Indian life on the American con-
tinent. 1--WE are going to illustrate" he
says, ''the native types of North and
South America, with their distinctive
Esquimaux if our plan does not fail;
Aleuts surely, Canadian Crees, Sioux,
Apaches al! the distinct families of
American Indians Our show will be ar.
ranged geographically on the grounds.
At the north end will be the northern
tribes with their own styles of residence
If a buffalo-skin tepee may be called a
residence. Then towards the south will
be the other tribes in relative geograph-
zeal positions, with oar Patag onian visi-
tors to round up the southern limit. We
are assured of Indian families from
Mexico and Central America. One Cen
trail American family will live out orer
the lagoon in house built on piles, just
as they live at home, Another family
will come from Bolivia, SO that, taking it
all together, we shall have about tho
most interesting historical and ethnolo-
gical illustration of native American life
that has ever been seen. All these vari-
ous groups and families will have their
native habitations and utensils. Where
it is possible the landscape will be made
to conform to the nature of the tribes
occupying the site For instance, tropi-
cal plants will surround the dwellings of
The Central and South American Indians;
those families that are used to boats will
have their canoes on the lagoon, and
that of itself will be spectacle worth
seeing
Mr.. s. S. BoySToN, California
naturalist, comes to the defence of some
of our domestic birds that are charged
with high crimes against the crops
The meadow lark, he says, is roundly
abused by the farmer, and one of the
atrocities laid at its door is pulling up
shoots of young wheat. A careful OK.
animation of the stomachs of large
number of larks shows that their food is
mostly insects, and hence the damage
done by them is slight compared TO the
good they perform. In the stomachs of
thirty larks opened by Mr.. Boynton, one
hundred seeds, twenty-five caterpillars,
ffty-seven grasshoppers, and eighty
beetles were found. From this showing
tho conclusion flows that the lark is
genuine friend of the farmer. Robins
have also been much malignej Two Of
these birds under surveillance for an
hour were seen to take TO their young
fifty cut-worms in country where Der.
ries were plentiful. Tho bluejay is
another martyr to public opinion. One
writer has said with bitter sarcasm: "lf
you succeed in killing q blueiay, hun.
drod strangers come to attend his funeral
and to supply his place. y But the fact
is. that no other bird insists on so many
insects as part of his daily bill of fare,
Audubon estimated that two jays and
thoir five young require for food in 100
days 10000 insects that are harmful to
fruit and food plants. Another bird on
the black list is the downy woodpeckeI
OF sap-sucker, but italso subsists mainly
on insects and grubs that are harmful to
fruit Norris the ruby throated humming-
bird only honey thief, for while he has
a sweet bill he prefers insects. Then
there is the sparrow-hawk, which every
one regards as public enemy, but this
birds annihilates great quantities of
snakes, mice, and insects, and his APP
petite for them is never satisfied.
Martins aud swallows are also unfailing
insect-devourer. For tho crow and
sparrow, Mr.. Boynton is obliged tn
onter plea of guilty.