The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1902-07-04
THE 1NNocENTs.


in national history today is the study
of birds, their ha bits, songs and beauty.
We value most birds for their songs
and beauty. yet birds have far great
that can be seen flying about song
less and not beautiful yet valuable.
That which we ought to appreciate In
birds is the great value they are to
agriculture and forestry, in destroying
worms and insects that are menace TO
crops and trees. We shall mention
few birds valuable to man in this re-
spect.
The robin is a small bird which lives
throughout the United States east of
the great plains and lives far north
through Canada and also Alaska. AL
though some Of the robins migrate. to
the northern states in winter, few re-
main in sheltered swamps. Where wild
berries furnish them with food.
The robin builds its nest in orchards
and gardens It's food habits have
sometimes caused apprehension to the
fruit grower, for it is very fond or
small wild berries and cherries. Some
of the farmers and fruit growers have
condemned the robin for eating fruit.
but they should not do so because the
robin is SO valuable to man. 1t is also
noted for its keeness of sense of hear
ing. The robin can stand on the ground
and hear angle worms crawling I'M
derneath the surface of the ground.
Then it will locate the exact spot where
the worm is, go there and pull it out.
1t also eats caterpillars, spiders, grass
hoppers and bugs. So we should all be
very glad to keep the robin around
when it is SO valuable.
Another bird of great value to us is
the woodpecker. 1t is a small sized
bird with a very long. beak. long tail,
and has a small tuft of feathers on the
top Of it's head. 1t has long tongue
with a bone running through the center
of it, which aids it in piercing the IN
SectS. The WOodpecker is very greatly
| valued for destroying bugs and worms
| in the trees. It is just as skillful a.
| the robin because it can hear the worms
| in the trees.
| Many of the farmers say the wood
| pecker sucks the sap from the trees
because there are SO many holes ano
| these are close together. One person
| has seen a Woodpecker carrying anC
storing as many as Al 900 acorns in one
| tree depositing one in each hole it has
| bored. This author thinks they store
! them for the winter but they do not
| They store them so the ants and worm:
in the tree will feed on the acorn:
| then they will eat the worms or fee(
their fledgelings on them. Woodpecker:
| have been seen sitting on ant hills
catching ants until they have all beer
| devoured.
There are many other kinds of birds
valuable for the purpose of keepins
down obnoxious insects. There would
be many more birds flying around l.
it were not for the fact that they arr
destroyed in great quantities. Some
| people shoot the birds for fun, some fol
millinery purposes some for food, some
are killed by other birds, when young
| some are killed for specimens anC
others by storms. The number destroy
| ed annually amount to many millions
and they are becoming extinct very
rapidly.
A few societies have been formed fo
| the purpose of protecting the birds, thu
chief of which is the Audubon Society
| In most of these societies the workers
are mostly business men. Park com
missioners are becoming great friends
| of the birds. that guard the trees from
| insect pests and they do all they cal
for the birds. Notices are printed for
bidding the shooting of birds both il
| private and public places. In New Yorl
state Professor Bickmore is devoted
to the education of teachers upon tn
| value of birds.
Ministers even preach sermons .upel
The department of agriculture u
Washington, D. c.. is sending out+yas
| amounts of printed matter to the pee
pie. Farmers then learn that bird lif
is of great value to them, even tn
| crows are valued very highly, TO
while they eat a great deal of corn
they cat a great many injurious in
sects found in and around the corr
| fields.
From one city where there are SC
cieties for the protection of the birds
comes the report that, Our milliner
! have not ordered any feathers thi
season. which shows the good result
of this society. There should be sucl
societies in every town, then our home
would be a great deal more pleasan
| and we could see the birds singing an
living happily always.
| There are a great many differen
| laws in different states applicable Il
| birds. For instance in Arkansas tn
| people have a law detrimental to TIL
| bIuebird. Of course the bluebird is yer.
| valuable, but they do not think SO
they think it destroys their crops. bu
it does not, it eats the insects so tn
| crops can grow.
The reason why their crops are 81
| small is that the insects; and bugs un
derneath the ground eat the roots 81
the crops die.
/ If this process continues there VII
be very few birds left around on
homes and in the trees to sing for us
| so l think everything possible should b
done to prevent the destruction an!
useless slaughter of birds. then life VII
be much more pleasant and enjoyabl
fol' us and for the birds.
MARY LINDGREN.