Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1897-09-02

10 take each dead bird ana examine
his stomach. The scientist can then
learn what food the birds subsist upon,
and hence can determine whether or not
they are friends or foes of the husband
man. tits generally discovered that the
common birds are the friends of the
farmers, and are destroying his insec-
tivorous enemies. This discovery hav-
ing been made IN each case, the farmers
are informed of the result of the inves-
tigation. and thereafter the shotgun il
dispensed with. So the killing of a
few birds results in saving the lives of
thousands of others.
The professor says that cuckoos are
much given to eating caterpillars, and
do not object to their hair, as many
birds do. On the contrary cuckoos eat
So many hairy caterpillars that the
hairs pierce the inner Innings of their
stomachs; and when they are opened
and turned inside out, the cuckoo stom-
achs seem to be lined with a thin coat
ing of fur, which appears to be part of
the stomach itself. Nature provides Tor
continued digestion, just the same.
While the scientific slaughter Of
cuckoos was going on, 16 of the birds
were examined, and the result shows
that they had all been diligently en-
gagged in helping the farmers of their
neighborhood. The 16 stomachs showed
the remains of 1928 caterpillars, IL
beetles, Is grasshoppers, 63 saw flies,
four spiders, and three stink bugs.
Those were industrious birds, and they
were doing their best for their farmer
friends, when they were ruthlessly shot
down for scientific investigation. just
think of it! There were 1913 caterpillars,
many of them in the larva stage. But
fol those cuckoos all of those caterpil-
lars would have been working on the
leaves of trees; and they prefer apple
trees. OF the SO saw flies, 60 were in
the larva stage.
Investigation demonstrates that
farmers should do their best to cult
vate woodpeckers. They leave no marks
on healthy trees. On the contrary they
unerringly trail down the wood-boring
larva, and dislodge and devour them.
1t is a picnic for a woodpecker to catch
these tree killers. They eat them with
as much satisfaction and qualification
as summer girl manifests over dish
of ice cream. 1t usually happens that
after these woodboring larva are de-
stroyed, the holes are filled with col
onies of ants. Do the woodpeckers
leave them to thrive there? Not much,
they like ants pretty well, too; and
they watch those holes carefully, well
knowing that they will have an epicu-
rean festival of ants after little while;
and consequently they keep the trees
clean all the time. 1t is their business
and pleasure 10 do so. Two flicker
woodpeckers' stomachs were examined
in the laboratory, and they each con-
tanned 1900 ants, besides the wood-bor-
ing larva. Those were good wood
peckers, and ought to have been kept
and cultivated by the farmers firesides
as near neighbofs and close friends.
The official bulletin has good word
also for the red-headed woodpecker.
1t is admitted that this bird is guilty
of tapping trees and drinking the sap.
1t has been discovered, however, that
very few trees are seriously injured;
although some have died within year
or two, after being sapped by these
red-headed fellows. The professor
says, however, that "the bird captures
millions of insects which are attracted
by the sweet sap, and the tree tapping