The Port Gibson reveille. [volume] (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1890-current, 1907-11-28


by DIR. SD. Judd, of the U. S. Bio
logical Survey, may be of interest ::
"Our gallinaceous birds, such as
grouse, quail, pheasants, etc., are
not exclusively vegetarian in diet,
as is commonly believed, but are
mixed feeders. Quail-colin-
us virginianus- our partridgeJ
destroy such dreaded pests as cut
worms, army worms, twelve spotted
cucumber beetles, chinch bugs and
Rocky Mountain locusts. Year
Book of Agriculture, 1900.
In the Year Book of Agriculture,
1898. the same authority says !;
"The eastern quail or bob white
four PARTRIDGE does much
good by destroying weed seed. !.
The amount of grain found in the
few stomachs thus far examined is
surprisingly small, while the pro-
portion OF weed seeds is astonish-
ingly large, in some cases crops
and gizzards being literally gorged
with seeds of rag weed" Z"
Again, in bulletin No. II, Bio
logical Survey, 1902, Dir. Judd says
that our partridge, "as an enemy
of insect pests and destroyer OF
weed seed has but few equals.
But it is needless to multiply
Quotations on a matter so well es-
tablished as that of the economic
value of these birds The par
fridge, in fact, is among the farm
er's most useful allies in the un-
ending battle against weeds and in
sect pests. This tireless volunteer
in the strife should be protected
and encouraged to multiply to the
utmost instead of being, as he now
is, the victim of a relentless pur-
suit
It is not only the quail, however
that deserves protection at the hand
of man for with hardly an excep-
ton all species of birds are engaged
In constant warfare upon noxious
insects. The French writer Mich
elet in his work "L'Oiseau,
(ouoted in DIR. Marsh's THE EARTH
is Modified by Harmon Action
criticizes the farmer for not be
friending these feathered allies
without whose aid he could no
gather a single harvest. Say:
Michelet "Avaricious, blind, in
deed, Tis the farmer who pro
scribes the birds-those destroyer'
of insects, those defenders of hi
harvests. Not a grain for the
creature which, during the rains o
winter, hunts the future insects
finds out the nests of the larvae
examines, turns over every leaf
and destroys, every day, Thousands
of incipient caterpillars But sack
of corn for the mature insect
whole fields for the grasshoppe
which the bird would have mad,
war upon And the insec
has we'll avenged the bird. In til
Isle of Bourbon, for instance,
price was set on the head of tn
martin; it disappeared, and grass
hoppers took possession of the is
land, devouring, whitening, scorch
ing with biting drought all ths
they did not consume. Even tn
sparrow 4. the pilferer, the ou
law, loaded with abuse, and sni
ten with curses-it has been foun
in Hungary that they were like
RI nerish without him that
alone could sustain the mighty w
against the beetles and the tho
sand winged enemies that swar
in the lowlands; they have revok'
the decree of Punishment and
called in haste the valiant militi
which, though deficient in disci
line, is nevertheless the salvation
the country"
Unfortunately, such consider
tions are powerless to check the a
&c man or boy in the sport
ing birds. Perhaps the need,
bn will not be learned until I
minishing harvests shall arouse t
country to the heavy price it mi
pay for the relentless persecud
of the feathered tribes.
A. c. w.
Mr.. Editor
Will you allow a country hooz