Evening journal., 1900-03-20
MANS FEA THEREp FRIENDS
THEIR DEPREDATIONs ARE AL
WAYS OUTwEIGHED BY THE1T
WRITES

WAYS OUTWEIGHED BY THEIR
VIRTUES.
The storm Of popular protest that
has followed the announcement of the
contract made in Milford to supply 2O,-l
600 bird skins to a New York milli-
merry firm, is doubtless the outcome of
the years of patient work of the Au-
dubon Societies and the United States
Department Of Agriculture. Each of
these agencies has been working for
the protection Of our birds, but for en-
tirely different reasons; the former for
humane reasons and the latter for the
important beneficial part birds play in
agricultural work.
THE SPARROW AS A FRIEND.
It is not an uncommon sight to see
flocks of blackbirds, one of the birds
whose skins are being sought after,
large enough to supply the whole con-
tract but what would be the result if
they were slaughtered by the whole
sale While the crow is not the most
useful Of the farmers feathered friends,
even its value is sufficient to warrant
its protection. Birds are useful to the
country at large and farmers in par
ticular in two ways; namely, by de-
vouring weed seed and injurious in
sects. These are consumed by various
birds in immense numbers, and no ade-
Quate estimate of their value for these
purposes can be made. Boston, for eX-
ample tried to eXterminate its spar
rows last year, and as a consequence
suffered from plague Of caterpillars.
Take, for instance the much malign-
ed sparrow, which was imported in
1850 for the purpose of acclimating it
to keep down insect pests. Philadel-
phia played an important part in this
introduction over 900 pairs of English
sparrows having been liberated here in
the early fifties Almost all the native
and imported birds have more to rec
ommend than to condemn them. In
Winter those that do not migrate sub
sist almost entirely on weed seeds, and
in Summer they eat incalculable num-
bers of grasshoppers, caterpillars, bee
ties, grubs wevils, plant lice and tree
borers. Perhaps the single exception
TO this rule is the rice bird, which does
considerable damage to the Southern
rice fields.
For the purpose of demonstrating
these facts the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture has examined
thousands Of stOmachs of different spe-
cies of birds, killed under different con-
ditions in different parts Of the coun-
try, both in Winter with snow on the
ground, and in Summer and at other
seasons, particularly during the Spring
sowing and Autumn harvest Over A.
600 sparrow stomachs have been thus
examined and 5000 stomachs of birds
Of prey hawks and owls, and hun
dreds of each of the more common
birds which gives an idea Of the mag
nitude, thoroughness, and extent of the
investigations
THE WOODPECKER'S VIRTUES.
Although farmers are apt to look
upon wOCdpeckers, crows and black
birds with suspicion, their dislike is ex-
aggerated, and in the case of the wood
peckers entirely without foundation.
Careful observers have noticed that
these birds rarely leave any important
mark on a healthy tree, but when a tree
is affected by wood-boring larvae the
insects are accurately located, dis
& lodged and devoured. In case the holes
formed by the larvae are afterwards
occupied by colonies of ants they are in
turn drawn out and eaten. The wood
peckers are great conservators of for
ests. Under this heading are included
the five or six families familiarly
known throughout the country; name
ly. the hairy woodpecker, the flicker
tho redheaded woodpecker and ever
the sapsuckers are not so harmful a:
Il they are believed generally to be.
In his insect diet, the crow make.
amends for his well-known failing foi
sprouting corn, and very young chick
ems, May bugs. June bugs, grasshop
pers caterpillars. and cut worms con
stitute his principal diet during tn,
Summer months While the blackbirt
is generally condemned for his grair
eating propensities. cultivated grainl
really form but a small proportion o
his diet as shown by the examination
of 725 stomachs Weed seed appears t.
form about 81 per cent. of the Who'll,
years fare, and another 25 per cent
being made up of insects. mostly harm
ful varieties
The cuckoos delight in an insect diet
and esteem as especial delicacies tn,
hairy caterpillars which are reiecte,
by most birds Caterpillar larvae ar
'& also largely consumed. as well as bee
# ties. saufies. flies and spiders. stinI
bugs, etc. The kingbird another o
our orchard and garden frequenters 4
# largely insectivOrous, and, although
s. alleged to have the habit Of preying o.