The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-22
PESTS WE Must KEEP orr
among Them Arc the Mongooso and the
Flying Fox of Australia.

-Four obnoxious strangers are knocking AT
our doors, They are demanding admission 10
the country and announce their intention of Der.
manently residing here once they arc admitted
To keep them out the acting chief Of the Bioor,cnl
Survey Prof Palmer has sent an earnest warn.
ing TO Congress. In il he points out in unm,>.
taxable language the danger Of pfocrnstinntinpr
with the situation. The four strangers whose
threatened advent causes such adverse criticism,
from THIS highly scientific department Of the GOV.
ernmen, are. The mongoosr the flying fox Of
Australia, the "kohlmcisc" or great titnouse
OF Europe. and the nina. a beautiful bird from
farawsy India They are all frui, caters c,op
destroyers. agricultural pests, whose advent in
any hhbitable portion Of the globe has specdil,
been followed by large losses to the farmer Sine.
the possibility Of the four becoming inhabitants
oil tho woods and fields Of the Mon has become
startling contingency the men Of science con
nected with the Biological Survey have been look.
Ing up their records elsewhere They find that
publicity should precedc q en- tina they re- rogucs
thieves, ne'cr do wells and altogether undesiro.
bic additions to the furred and ieathcrcd circles
OF the ni,ed States that their pictures should
society N' 'u'"'
Thirteen years ago. said Prof Palmer "a,,en.
Won was called TO the necessity of restricting the
indiscnmlnate importation ot mammals and birds
A. mat tme recommendation was made that
the introduction Of exotic species should be placed
under the control OF the Department Of Arr,cui.
turc The necessity for some such action has
Deenme more apparent on account Of the danger
2, introducing NE mongoos" into this country
IN consequence oi the recent acquisition Of Hawaii
and Porto Rico and the resulting increase in The
means oi eommunlcation with these islands
An expedition despatched last winter 10 Porto
Rico discovered that the mongoose was NO, only
present but that II had spread all over The isiondS
MUCH as !, spread over Jamaica. II was imported
az ohh Juan ABOUT twenty years ago for the pur
pose oil destroying rats in tho cane fields and
Is now regarded as general nuisance BY ali
long since ceased 10 be considered b.nser nal
ahd measures were adopted seven years ngn
to prevent It's further increase Although II Is
vhluhple as destroyer OF rats Its record in Ia.
mace shows that IL one Of the worst pests that
can oe introduced into any county.
il, kings ~ shows that it does not conhne
poultry, game, birds and reptiles and even con
s sSTiS scmH Kinds en- Of fruits greater calamity
ducuon OF the mongoose, and no effort sbn'id
ne spared 70 prevent this animal from being brought
pigs Kids lambs sT Kittens The monsoosf destroys
w game birds, eggs, snakes, ground Ii,nnr nis'
frogs turtles eggs and land crabs lie i is also
bers animals have B been ses, from "eH NUN
Cru, and San Juan In 1892 an efToT wSs 2 mnd,
70 Introduce the mongoosc in this country 10
SSs s, tH 'aS gophers IN The West TWAS defeated
Rico, Hawaii, or Cuba, Is now a very s.ri HHs
one. The losses which have resulted from tho
lhNouucuph OF thc rabbit, weasel English spar
row stating and blnGkhrd in New Zealand
amounted TO millions. Of dollar" ''"'''"''" nave
Last year much interest was unaffected II,
INC Northwest IN the so-callcd " nhlmrisrf az
great utmousc OF Europe Horticultu-ists in
iuaho naN"ra'rd The Introduction Of this bird
ms a DESTROYER Of the codng moth and hrnccc
would be desirable addition to tho bird iouns
OF NC nited States, Investigation fails H. Li.
Close close any useful part the titmouso could plsV
!, nero SENS ~ De no satisfactory evidence that
J! Is partial TO the codling moth, or In fact thai
y ever feeds on the moth To any great extern,
un nc oth"r hand IL Is said 10 attack small hnJ
MWcHhlE nltlS spl!tiinR open their skulls with
Us hrhN 10 get at tho brains aud doing more or
Other, SPECIES Of the genus The 'kmhimcsr;' 10
mainly insectivorous, hut in winter II cats rut
and hard seeds While the kohlmeisc m %irt
NOV 1eFelnp us irui'-cating propensites in Amer
''". ~, ~ Is 20 almost certain 10 de- serious harm.
vented the Importation Of the flying fox bcttcr
known ms the frut-catnr hat of NmstT,ii,
I'ut, ms cannot he relied on indefinitely Va |
herd laws al onc" 70 keep II out The fvinr |
eotinS I hns !" inc best known group Of fruit
species found in the tropics OF The Old W"rId frE
Madagascar east 10 Australia and The Sad |
wien Islands and north 10 India the MALAY arch. |
,miag" ana southern Japan They live in i'm
destructive 10 fruit In Hmgnst
1893, the steamer Manowai from AustrnIiss " H,
rived IN San Francisco having on hoard n living |
lM, II mas promptly killed by the quarantine |
in rOn,y Two , months MS later four more arrived
itio Janclro They were likewise killed Theys |
Is constant danger Of these nests h"ino ~,
lnced unless Congress gives us authority 10 dea
with the question" " w"