The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-05-21
RELATIONS OF PLANTS
TO BIRDS AND INSECTS

4
That there is much more intimate
| relation between the. fauna and fora OF
a. region than we should ordinarily sus-
.pect is asserted by Elizabeth G. Brit
ton, writing in The Plant World. She
says:
There is no question that much of
/ the change in the number and habits
of our native birds is due to the
| changes made by man IN the exterrni-
| nation of the native plants on whien
they feed, and that many OF the insec-
ticides which are so largely in use IN
agricultural communities are made nee
essary by the destruction of the natural
enemies of the insects-tFle bircis-and
that they in turn do much to drive the
birds away. That the balance of life
can not be disturbed in any given re-.
gion without causing countless unfore-
seen changes is, best illustrated by OAR
wins story regarding the connection
between the clover, bunbiebee, mice,
cats. and old maids. The cat has also
become a strong disturbing factor in
the determination Of our wild birds, and
combined with the destruction of native
trees, shrubs. and Eerbaceous plants
the surroundings of all our cities and
towns will account in a great measure
for their disap pearanca. Some of the
worst insect pests are not natives here.
and it takes some time for the native
birds to learn to like them.
:. It has been found that when the
Colorado beetle or potato-bug started
on its progress eastward, it met with
but little. resistance until it reached the
State of Iowa. Here. SO the story is
told, farmer noticed that after anoint- /
ing his potato vines with Faris green /
a number of rose breasted grosbeaIs
lay dead on the ground in the morning. |
He watched the birds and found that !
they were boiling the Objectionable in /
sects with avidtty- The grosbeak was /
the pioneer, but as the years have /
quered their distrust of the new food /
and relished it,
THE latest observations relate to the
cotton boil weevii. which it has been I
found the mocking-bird will eat Tt
seems likely but for the great dirninu-
ton in the number of hooking birds
the Texas pest would never have gained
a foothold. or that with more stringent
laws for protecting them the great
problem of the Southwest is solved It
IS also probable that ground-feeding
birds, such as the grackles and pipiIos,
would probably accomplish quite as
much.
In 1856 the United States Govern
nent caused the food of the blue jay
% be investigated. 1t was found that
hree-fourti1s of it's food consists of
vegetable matter and that the remain
Ter was composed mostly of insects
t was found that they ate Insects every
month in the year, the percentage vary
ng from one in January to sixty-six in
August, and that large numbers OF
crickets, and locusts, as
veil as the caterpillars of the brown
all and gypsy moths, are destroyed
W them
{ There is no question that bushes and
rees producing Juicy edible fruits are
cry attractive to birds, and that rob-
ms. thrushes. and kingbirds frequent
he wild cherry, elder, dogwood, tupelo, =
nd viburnunl and the tangles of black
series as long as there is any fruit to- j
e found. In the fall the gofdfnch may
e looked for in the woody tangles of Y
omposites among the golden-rods and
sters and the chickadees on the sweet
ufrls and other native trees in the VIM
ar. We can not expect the native birds
Q remain with. us if we destroy all theI
atfve plants and in place of their IA
orite food and nesting-p1aces gfvef
hem cultivated trees and shrubs and
fnooth grassy lawns! It makes very
tile difference to the birds what man
oes if he does not disturb them and
caves enough food and shelter"