Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-06-04

swallows are not desirable neighbors,
the nests, especially when near houses
are often destroyed and the birds
driven away. All birds are more ur
less subject to parasites, especially |
when nesting, but the parasites are
not bedbugs nor the kinds obnoxious
to man and no one need Danish the
swallows for fear of trouble from this
source. In Germany the presence OIL
swallows around houses is SO much
desired that artificial nests made Of
clay or other material are put up In
order to attract birds by saving them
the labor Of constructing their own
domiciles. No doubt our own cliff
swallows would be quick to respond
to a similar offer of ready mado dwell
lings, rent free, and in this way the
range Of this extremely useful species
might be materially increased. The
cliff swallow Is one Of the most in
defatigable insect destroyers extant,
and every motive of patriotism and
humanity should prompt communities
among which they live to protect and
foster them in every possible way.
Purple Martin
This, the largest and IN many re.
spects the most beautiful of all our
swallow tribe, is the most local and
the least numerous, In New England
and perhaps in most Of the northern
states generally, this fine bird is
steady diminishing in numbers. The
English sparrow often takes posses.
sion Of It's boxes, ruthlessly kills the
young martins or throws out the eggs,
and usually succeeds in routing the
colony and appropriating the boxes.
When measures are not taken to abate
the sparrow nuisance in the immed-
late vicinity of martin colonies, the
usual result Is that the martins are
forced to abandon their houses. The
habit Of putting up houses for the ao-
communication of martin colonies is
not as common in the north as 1t for
merly was, and to this indifference to
the martins presence, to persecution,
by the sparrow, and to losses due to
the prevalence of cold storm during
the nesting season, no doubt, is due
the present scarcity Of the bird
Simply to put up martin boxes in
localities where the birds do not now
live may or may not ultimately result
IN the formation of new colonies for
the martin is conservative by nature
and loves its birthplace too we'll 70
COLOMBO strange localities until forced
away by lack of accommodations in
the old home, More active measures,
therefore have been suggested to in
duce colonization, particularly the
transfer at night of one or more mar
tin houses, with both parent birds and
nestlings, from their old homes to
| ON ITory -, a.
care for, the old birds probably will
not always desert them, but are like
ly to resume parental duties in the
strange neigborhood. especially if the
old home is far distant The theory is
that the following spring on their re-
turn from the south the young martins
and possibly their parents, will &c
back to the new home. AS the young
can be raised by hand without serious
1 difficulty, 1T may prove easier to start
the new colony with nestlings alone
feeding them on meal worms, grass
hoppers and the like. Six of eight car
we'll be spared from year to year, even
on small scale, gradual increase
in the number of martin colonies is
likely to result and new centers If
distribution to be formed.
Swallows Most Useful
From the standpoint of the farmer
and the orchardist, perhaps no birds
more useful than the swallows exist.
They have been described as the light
cavalry Of the avian army. Specially
adapted for flight and unexcelled in
aerial evolutions, they have few rivals
In the art of capturing insects in mid.
air. They eat nothing of value to man
except few predacious wasps and
bugs, and in return for their services
IN destroying vast numbers Of noxious
insects ask only for harborage and
protection. It is to the fact that they
capture their prey on the wing that
their peculiar value to the cotton
grower is due. Orioles do royal ser.
vice In catching weevils on the bolls;
and blackbirds, wrens flycatchers, and
others contribute to the good work /;
but when swallows are migrating over
the cotton fields they find the weevils
Tying in the open and wage active
war against them. AS many as forty
seven adult weevils have been found
in the stomach of single cliff swal-
low.
I What may be termed the interstate
TelduonS OF DlfdS are not always as
! simple as in the case of the swallows.
Some birds are most desirable sum-
mer residents of northern states, but
when migrating greatly damage Ger.
tain crops In the southern states. Not
SO with the swallows. Their beauty
their graceful flight, and their soci.
ability insure them a welcome every
where and endear them to every lover
of nature. Their esthetic value. how
ever, great as it is, is not so important
as their economic worth, so constant
and effective is the warfare they wage
| against the insect hosts which but for
them and other avian benefactors
would render successful agriculture
impossible. To the southern states
may safely be intrusted the duty OF
protesting and augmenting in every
possible way the numbers of resident
birds that prey upon the boil weevil
But it is for the northern states to
aid the good work SO far as lives in
their power. The insect enemy of the
farmer of either district is the enemy
of the common veal, and only from