Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-02-10
THE USE AND ABUSE OF BIRDS.


In his lecture last week before the
Natural History Society Of Delaware
Mr., Wilmer Stone said that the ques-
ton OF how TO preserve our birds from
destruction is serious Que. Until
within comparatively recent years the
birds have been able, to some extent,
10 hold their own, or at least did not
decrease 10 any alarming extent. but
they have been encroahed upon from
30 many quarters. by IN increased num-
Der Of sportsmen, for millinery put-
poses, by the depredations of the Eng.
lsh sparrows, and of egg collectors, 10y
the encroachmento of cities, the clearing
of forests, and by the mistaken dn-
struction of them by farmers, that the
consideration of some meane OF pre-
serving Thorn has become au important
one. The Agricultural Department at
Washington is taking groat interest in
the matter, and has ascertained that
the decrease in the numbers OF some
varieties is alarming, while others are
threatened with extinction, as farmers
and others have not seemed to realize
their value Ia the preservation OF crops
and fruit. Some time ago the depart.
ment requested that those who killed
birds for any purpose should at once
put the stomach of each bird in alcohol
and forward it TO the department that
| it might he examined by experts for
the purpose of ascertaining on what it
bad led. and of thus learning whether
it is helpful or harmful Many thou.
sands OF birds Rtomachs, taken at all
seasons Of the year, have thus been ex'
amiued, and the department is able to
| speak with authority. 1t found 10y the
| dissection of hundreds of Btumachs OF
each variety that those of the comtnon
birds found about the farm such III the
wren, the blue bird, song sparrow or
chippy, oriole, robin, wnohpecker, &c. +,
contained 80 per cent OF insect food, in
furious to vegetation, and about Que
per cent of grass, stones, &C., and
chance bits of vegetation picked up
with the insects. The value of these
birds has perhaps been little questioned,
although they have not received the
care that they should.
But of the other birds whose position
has been considered questionable, il
not decidedly injurious, it has beeu
proven that most are useful friends.
The catbird has suffered in his reputa.
tinn because now aud then he is seer
to fitch few raupberries or cherries
while no account is taken Of the time
be spends on the ground devourine
worms, beetles, &c. He belongs de
ciledly among the valuable birds. al
does also the blue jay, in spite of thu fac
that he may, occasionally destroy thu
eggs OF smaller birds. The crow black
bird has been looked upon with dis
favor, but OF 2, 260 stomachs OF thil
variety examined, the animal food wal
found to lie 4S per cent, the vegetable
4S per cent and ths remainder wal
mineral. The animal food was com
posed Of insects. spiders, earthworms
crawfish. Thousand legs" sowhugs
snakes, snails, tree toads, mice and alas
an occasional bird egg. or the insects
many we're beetles. such as the Jun,
or rosebug, 80 injurious to cherries
&c. The we'll known grubwormH turneC
up by the pillow in the spring ure thu
, young or larval form of these beetles
These insects were eaten in every montl
from March to October. Many stomach
we're found to be crammed with grubs
Grasshoppers also formed large par
Of the contents, Corn was found il
about So per cent Of the stomachs, bu
| it was found principally in winter
8 | when il is mostly waste corn; much o
, 1t had evidently been wet and frozen
and ha6 lain out through ths winter
! Little evidence was found that black
. birds pull up sprouting corn. Tn
/ maximum amount ot corn is taken Il
q September from the fields of standin
corn. On the whole this bird is NOR
useful than harmful, except when
desoends in flocks upon corn and whea
r fields, when undoubtedly it would in
o flict real damage and show that
is too numerous 10 that particula
/. locality, although no general war uf eS
4 Termination should be waged against il
o The crow is even more ION th
& fence"r between useful and injuriou
o birds, but on the whole, the examine
tion made of the contents of stomach
and from other snurces speak greatly j
favor of the crow. II they pull IL
i, some sprouting corn they also kill man
II cutworms and destroy great numbers I
= field mice. One farmer was made thei
Q friend by watching them closely. II
u had concealed himself with oade
! gun, meaning TO shoot them, but who
! he saw them turn over the sods. shak
s them to pieces. and eat the cutworn
that fell out, he changed his mi nc
They follow the pillow in the furrow an
pick up every grub and beetle in eigh
7 Where crows have been nearly extel
J. Minated by poison. or by shooting thel
. on their roosts a noticeable increase {
u insects has followed.
), The old saying that "a little know
I edge is dangerous thing" ia exempt
fed in the indiecrimiuate condemnatio
OF hawks and owls. OCCASIONAL
young chicken, or a sick fowl is ca
ried of by hawk, or a mutilRted gan
bird is found by the sportsman, WI
feels sure that a thieving owl has 81
croached on his preserves, and but
birds in all their varieties are col
demned, and no opportunity IL lost
destroying them and their eggs ar
young Mr. Stone asserted that on
one kind of owl, the "great horne
owl, I" destroys poultry, while there a
but three kinds OF hawks who do
and they are very rare as far south
this, strangely enough the one cor
monty known as the ''chicken hawk
does not carry off chickens. The ma
food of hawks in this part OF the cou
try is field mice, mules, lizards, Hnak
and frogs, grasshoppers and cricket
with an occasional rabbit or grour
squirrel. They may be almost dai
sesn beating over the meadows aloI
the Delaware anu bouncing down
some unfortunate fold mouse. OF Il
reh-Hhoulderei or 'hen hawk" abo
DO per cent OF its food has bean found
consist Of injurious mammals and i
sects and only l1a per cent of poult