Evening star., 1899-03-04
POSING AS REED BIRDS
Robins and Other Insectivora Have BEEN
Killed by Thousands.
fragrant Violations of Law That
nave Done Immense Harm 10 the
Agricultural Interests.

The frequenter of the market has do,t, :.
less noticed recently lsrge punches OF birds
pIucked and headless. exposed for sale IL
ne stopped to inquire of the dealers as to
the kind OF birds thus offered 10 ten1pt the
eye and pocket of the passerby he was
probably informed that they were reed
birds" And If he yielded to the temptation
and had some OF the attractive morsels
sent home and cooked for his dinner the
probability is that he and his family fully
believed that they were indulging them
selves In an added course OF reed birds and
were properly satisfied.
But as fine feathers do not make fine
Birds so also the Gictum of a market
dealer does not make reed bird. Owing to
the popular prominence of that form of
bird flesh many other birds have al verIous.
tmes masqueraded under it's name In the
restaurants the reed bird on toasr'' which
Is eaten with so much relish is very fire.
quently English sparrow on toast In actu-
anty. The fair Juliet tells us that THAT
wnich we call rose by any other name
VIII smell as sweet" This NAV he a COR
reet principle applied TO botanical subjects,
put as TO archaeological matters IL would
seem 10 be reversed, and to the popular
taste. that which we cali reed bird.
though any other bird, will taste as sweet.
Evading the Law.
In the present instance the reed birds are
principally -obins. cedar birds and shora
larks. plucked. beheaded and dubbed reed
birds because the existence of certain
laws against the destruction of ,nsectiv-
orous birds might give rise TO awkward or
unpleasant contingencies were the dealers
open in the matter. Thus they are COM
pehed' IN order to pursue the trade 10 be
doubly false; they have TO deceive both
their customers and the guardians Of tho
law AS to the former. in the majority of
fhnT~ Ee
win the law and its guardians they are
not SO safe. 1t would seem 10 the average
public TO be hard to identify the hcadless
featherless bodies they offer for sale But
there are many ornithologists in the city
TO whom such Identification is a compara-
lively trifing task-a mere play conansred
with some of the identincatioas of the con-
tehts OF the stomachs Of bird and beast
tndt are regular part of the work of the
Department of Agriculture To these tho
loot OF robin is as distinctive as the head
OF an Owl would be to layrnan And
through their cooperation, which has been
cordially offered, with a little vigilance
upon the part of the authorities IL is likely
that infractions of the law will not he
without their punishment. At least II will
not be possible to carry on the trade as
openly as heretofore. One case has already
been punished. and il is understood that
prosecutions will be vigorously pressed
against further offenses. The extent of the
trade in the past can be gathered from The
single fact that last wear one dealer in
Center market received 5000 robins IN one
shipment and 5000 more a few days later.
These birds came from North Carolina
where they had probably been SLAUGHTERED
at some roost where northern birds win
tering in the south had gathered in large
numbers.
Deserve Protection.
The shore larks recently exposed for sale
were winter visitors to this latitude. and
were shot Just outside our city. Indeed,
these handsome and valuable little birds
were the guests of the city itself, and could
have been seen in focks of varying sizes
mingiing with the sparrows on the city
streets. They are close relatives of the
English skylark. and. like that noted song
ground, except when travelling or when
ascending toward the zenith TO shower
their music down upon those below.
Inc cedar bird is practically valueless,
but he makes some amends for his taci-
turnity by the elegant appearance he pre-
sents to the eye. His sleek. fawn-colored
garb, set off by trimmings of black and
yellow and touches of red on the ends of
some of his wing and tail feathers resen-
ping bits of sealing wax-from which he
is OFTEN called "waxwing''-and the iauntv
crest ne wears for headdress, combine
to make him as alluring TO the siyht as
many of his companions are 10 the hear,nr
The ladies. those severe critics of dress
would all be compelled to admit that his
costuHle Is IN 1a01tleSs taste. He is a ner-
manent resident of the neighborhood of
washington. and So being one of US, douhlv
deserves our protection.
Hecnuse of Their Value.
But while the object of the law was nar-
TALLY to preserve for our enjoyment these
beauties of garb and song yet IT was more
particularly because of the value of tho
birds that the shield OF the law was inter-
posed between them and their enemies. The
noxlous insects that they destroy-beetIes,
caperplllars, grasshoppers and other foes 70
vegetable Hfe-are enormous in number.
Inc service rendered farmers and those
VINO have any interest In shrubberv and
shade trees is inestima BILE. True the robins
and cedar birds will sometimes steal a few
cherries or maybe other small fruit. and
perhaps the shore larks may be found occa-
sionally unearthing planted grain, but this
toll that they take is very small nav for the
benefits they confer. The cedar birds are
better guardians of our elm trees than the
ablest and most vigilant gardener for they
feed upon the elnl-leaf beetle that despite
the utmost care, makes skeletons of the
leaves of so many of our elms I'm summer
Apart, therefore, from mere resentment OF
the imposition practiced upon them by the
dealers in the reed bird trick the people
of Washington have a personal interest in
suppressing this unlawful traffic They
should not only refuse to be gulled but
should actively aid the authorities by ex.-
posing those who attempt to defy the law.
HENRY OLDYS.