Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-09-13
Mistellaneous Reaains.
Mr.. WYLIE AND THE BIRDS.
New Game Warden Makes Plea For
Eeathered Friends.


l would like very much to have
taught in all Of our schools economic
ornithology-that of birds and bird
values.
Up to 1850 very little study was
given to the value Of birds, and then
only by few individuals. Since 1880,
some Of the states in the United States
have made an appropriation for the
investigation of the value Of birds.
and since 1885 very much has been
done, especially by the United States.
Out of 1,125 species Of birds, only
about six or seven species have been
found to be really injurious to the
farmers.
Immense quantities of bird stom-
achs have been collected for investi-
cation. Many of our birds were sup
posed to be injurious to the farmer,
end farmers for generations have tried
to destroy them, which is a mistake.
From 1000 stomachs Of the common
black crow, examined by the govern
ment, per cent, Of all their food con-
sisted of corn in the milk, that Is, In
the roasting ear ones. A very trivial
portion Of their food consisted Of fruit
and eggs, while most Of the food was
injurious insects and mice; therefore
crows should be protected, although
crows do pull up corn and eat the ker-
mel to some extent But this can be
prevented by taking seed corn, pour
ing kerosene oil on 1t, stirring until
each grain is greasy with oil, then
putting in -four Of sulphur until each
grain has had a coat Of sulphur. This
should be done just before planting
The oil and sulphur applied In this
way will make 1t distasteful TO the
crow, and he will abandon a field
planted in seed corn treated IN this
way. The corn treated with sulphur
and kerosene will also be protected
from the worms.
Another bird that has been suppos-
ed to be injurious is the king bird, or
bee martin, which the boys were
taught to shoot, because they ate bees.
On the investigation Of many bee
martins stomachs, 1t was found that
a small per cent Of the bee martins
food was bees, and most of these were
.drones, because the honeymaking bee
sings, and nature provided the bee
martin with eyes to enable him to dis
tinguish between a drone and the
honeymaking bee for at least 100 feet
distant The majority Of the bee mar
tins food consists of mosquitoes, rob-
Der flies and injurious insects. The
robber fly is a bee hawk, that is,
large fly that catches the bees when
they go to and from the hive and sucks
the blood from them.
a In studying bird food, dependence Is
chiefly placed upon examination OF the
tstomachs of the birds at different sea-
Sons. It has been discovered that
birds prefer wild fruits and wild
cherries, and grape vines have been
planted near orchards and found to
be- great protection to the cultivated
fruit.
Birds are used in a variety Of ways,
for food, pleasure, for sportsmen. for
plumage, for millinery purposes, and
for guano. United States bulletins on
Economic Ornithology and other liter
ature on the value Of birds may be
obtained by any one who wishes them
lat Washington, by applying to the
congressman and senators from his or
her district, or perhaps just as well TO
T. s. Palmer. department of agricul-
tture.
Now, I love birds and wish to have
them protected, and for this reason
have tried to encourage the boys In
Rock Hill and York county to build
houses for birds nests rather than
fight them away. Many Of the boys
report to me that they have bluebirds
and Jenny wrens building in their
houses. Bluebirds and wrens are my
favorites, and l sometimes think that
the bluebird should be our national
bird, not that the eagle Is not grand
bird. but that the bluebird comes
nearer having red, white and blue.
Besides, he Is an inhabitant Of a
greater part Of America than the eagle
and he is a very useful bird for the
protection Of gardens and orchards.
I will mention some Of the books
that are devoted to birds, that is'
those that will interest children: 1.-The
Citizen Bird" Birds That Hunt and
Are Hunted" and Bird Craft" also
a pamphlet called Birds and Nature
wish every man, woman and child
would read the Educational Leaflet
No. Z, issued by the national commit
tee Of Audubon societies.
am sure II the ladies who thought
they were fortunate in being able to
buy aigrettes for their hats would
regret having worn them or any kind
Of feathers on their hats.
l hope to have a collection of bird
houses to exhibit at the summer
school, which 1 hope will hold its
meeting at Winthrop next summer.
w. H. WYLIE.