Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1903-06-17

done; but an individual, mind you, by the
law OF the same sentiment has no right to
Kill that which DESTROYS the means
whereby he lives.
rhere Is not one word said about when
or where or under what circumstances
these robins were killed; whether In the
North or South, East or West, sprine or
iali, summer or winter; whether near a
small fruit farm or hundred miles from
one. Now in the name of fair-minded
common sense, to which appeal, would
ike TO ask what practical value can this
report be In determining the relative
destructive habits OF this bird to berries
and insects?
The only idet we can get as to the time
Oh year they might have been killed is
where, tn ough sentiment, he attem pts to
excuse his eating he useful beetles. From
this II would seem that the killing was
done somewhere from early spring to late
fau, covering a season when 1t would be
impossible to get practical data even IL
they were killed upon a small fruit farm,
which does not appear that they were. 1t
is clearly evident that every effort was
made to
SHIELD THE ROBIN,
but while admitting, by this very unfair
test that IS per cent. Of the stomach
contents was vegetable food and the
larger part of that fruit, but only
per cent. cultivated fruits, 1t
will admit that % per cent. found
in nd I,I,
makes no mention of the fact that fruits
being much more easily and quickly
digested than insects, the proportion of
fruits to that Of insects found In the
stomachs at any time would not give the
correct proportion OF the different foods it
had eaten.
Neither does 1t make any mention of a
much more important fact, that such Gull
tivated fruits as cherries and straw arries,
which are too large for it to swallow
whole, the part found in the stomach
represents only very small per cent. of
what has been destroyed, or made worth
less by this bird. 1t makes all the differ
ence in the world under what conditions
the robin Is killed as to what it may have
in its stomach.
These birds might be killed during the
very height OF The berry season, some " hat
remote from cultivated fruits, and not
showing OF cultivated fruits found In their
stomschs, but will stake my life against
a nickel that II the same kind OF birds at
the same time were killed in my berry
patch, over 80 per cent. of its food, count
Ing W hat 1t had rendered worthless to
obtain 1t, would be found cultivated
berries.
HOW TO BE !. SCIENTIST.
"By the scientist OF that department"
Huml scientist" indeed! To be true
scientist In any department one must first
graduate at the school OF practical expert
ence; to toll with bare hands under the
scorching rays OF a mid day sun; to earn
the bread by the sweat OF the brow; to
know what it is to go to bed nights with
body quite completely tired out with
manual labor, and all that which is neces-
sary properly to temper sentiment-and
then, IL he possesses, naturally, good COM
mon sense, and not till then, is he fit
candidate for the school OF science, where
in due season he should graduate with
honors, a d capab OF filling place
where true science is required, fully
worthy Of his hire.
II you are going to talk about scientific
investigation, Mr.. Tibbets, do, please, talk
about it in a truly scientific way, and il
you can find anything either in national
or state departments of real merit that
will help your side OF the question, do
trot it out. No one would be more pleased
to see 1t than 1; hut unless you want your
side still further driven in the hole,
advise you to keep all such "bosh" as that
report in question safely under cover.
E. w. w.