Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-05-23

XI,fCt - MA years organized
WH q III lWN Audubon Socie-
4 f3AGkfM IN Nm NJ ties, especially
"ityfsssM Wilma \ for the proteo
M .pPlL%lNHcU Ttion Of non
VfN e x2TW n gume birds. The
n EzAGs first society Of
SJH ~ this nature was
--- organized in
Massachusetts, in January, 1896.
W. I. Hornaday, director Of the New
York Geological Park, declares that
during the past 10 years our birds have
decreased In 30 States and Territories
As per cent.
in speaking of some OF the causes for
this decrease, DR.. O. F. Hodge OF Clark
University, says; Climatic influences
are severe 10 this country. Great mum
bers Of birds are killed in heavy rain
and hail storms. Whole species are
dominated In times Of sleet and in ex-
traordinarily cold weather within the
range OF their southern migrations.
Thus oar blue birds were killed off in
1885, and fearful havoc has been wrought
in number of our most valuable
species in the Southern States during
the winter OF 1885, With these elements
it Is difficult to contend. To what ex
tent man is responsible by reason of
clear ing out natural shelter and destroy
ing natural food supplies it is impossi-
BILE to say. Again, in times OF great
drouth In regions where our common
| species breed, both food and water may
| become 30 scarce that numbers OF nest
lings famish or starve. The birds then
are loRth to desert their nests to 60 to
regions OF plenty. II birds were tanned
| sufficiently to come TO man AS their
' friend IN times of great>need, as they
4, do In rare cases now. and as they learned
| to come to Mrs. Brightmeen, little
food aud shelter might tide them over
| the hard time, and their service after
wards would repay the outlay thous'
and fold. Abont the house aud barn
and shade uefs. safe places Of shelter,
crannios arranged on purpose, bird
houses. due care being exercised to keep
them clear Of English spsrrows and
| place thsm out OF the reach of cats.
might save great numbers of birds
| yearly.
millions of fsdglinRs, the country
over, now go to feed vagabond cats.
| The remedy here is to rid the neiRhbor-
hood Of all such cats; and people who
have cate that they value, Tor love OF
nature, ought 10 see to it that they are
provided with other food than young
robins, orioles, thrushes and song spar
rows. !"
there ia bird in New England
which is rigIdly protected, and is
| known AZ the "bobolink. In Delaware
it IL considered as game bird and may
be killed in the early fall and winter,
ard is known as the freed bird. F" In
the Southern States it is known as the
"rioe bird" and is utterly despised.
In the North it proves to be s'useful
bird, but the rice growers In the South
declare 1t to be q scourge. 1t has
been estimated that the bobolinks, with
little help ftom the red wings, cause
an annual loss of S2,000,000 to rice
growers OF the South.
or the ravages of the rice bird freed
bird Of Delaware) Col. John Screyen OF
Savannah, Ga, says:
Its invasionsi are ruipous to fields
on which ITS focks may settle, espeoi-
ally u the grain is In palatable condi-
tion and in fields adjacent to marshes
convenient for ambush or retreat. Bird
minders armed with muskets and shot
guns, endeavor, by discharges of blank
cartridges, to keep the birds alarmed
and to drive them from the field. Small
shot are also fred among them, and
incredible numbers are killed; but all
such efforts will not prevent great waste
of grain, amounting TO loss Of large
portions OF field--sometimes indeed,
to its entire loss. "
Capt. William Miles Hazard o.
AnnBndale. s. o., says: "DurinR the
nights Of August 21st, 22d, Esd and 24tt
millions OF these birds make their ap.
pearanoe and settle in the rice fields
From August 2lst to September 25tf
our every effort is to- save the crop
, Men, buys and women are posted will
guns and ammunition to every four o.
, five acres, aud shoot daily an average o
! about one quart Of gunpowder to tn
| gun. This firing commences at frs
, dawn of day, and is kept up until sun
set. Aftep all this expense and troubl
, our loss Of rice per acre seldom fall
! under five bushels, and IL from an!
| cause there is check to the crop dur
: ing its growth which prevents the grail
/ from being hard hut in a milky condi
/ tion, the destruction of the rice is com
plete and not paying to cut and brinI
I out Of the field.
+ Some of the owners of the large rio
. plantations have 100 bird -minders at th
q critical season, and shoot out 100 keg
{ of powder and several hundred pound
of shot. One planter says he has kille,
as high as $50 dozen binds in singl