Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1907-02-16

Akz3E4H<E& ~ l1f4E = ~ Exolj
cluding in his menu all the principal
varieti IS of insect pests.
Tit-mlce, creepers and wrens de,
YOUR large quantities of insects gath
cred from the bark of trees in sum-
mer, besides immense numbers of
weeds during the late fall and winter
months. In the spring nearly eighty
per cent of their food consists OF I'm
sects.
Orioles, blackbirds, crows, and
jays eat large quantities OF spiders.
myriapods. crawfsh, earth worms.
sowbugs, hairsnakes, snails, tree
toads, salamanders. lizards, snakes.
and even mice. Out of forty-eight
per cent of animal food forty-six per
cent consists of insects. During
summer, snout beetles, curculios and
weevils, as well as Bollworms and
army worms, also grasshoppers, form
part of their diet. more than thirty
grasshoppers being often found In
the stomach of single bird.
The owl, hawk and bat family, are
exceedingly useful in the destruction
of enormous numbers of mice and
other rodents, besides insects and
cermin OF many kinds. Out of 675
pellets (regurgitated remains of ami
mails etc, consumed) the remains OF
1S21 mammals, small birds and
batrachians were found, chiefly mea-
dow moles. species of field mouse,
and out of the large quantity OF food
only four and three-fourths per cent
consisted OF birds. There can be no
question of the great usefulness of
the owl, hawk and bat family to the
agricultural and horticultural inter
ests, especially the former In Eng
land, field mice sometimes threaten
the existence OF Grips by eating the
roots of plants. Where they become
abnormally numerous, hawks and
owls soon discover the fact. congre-
gate in large numbers, and eradicate
the pests.
The bluejay, Notwithstanding his
bad reputation, Is credited with an
average OF twenty-three per cent oi
animal food, reaching as high as
sixty per cent In the month OF Aug
ust, and consisting OF beetles, grass
hoppers and caterpillars-forty-two
per cent of his food consists of acorns
chestnuts as we'll as other large
seeds OF trees and shrubs.
The native cuckoo devours enor'
nous quantities of caterpillars. In
129 stomachs of cuekoos examined
2771 caterpillars were found an
average OF twenty-one in each bird
In May and June when the tent cat
erpillars are deioliating fruit trees
these insects constitute one-half OF
: the cuekoo's food. One stomach ex
amined was so full that he had evil
dently devoured a whole tent colony
OF caterDillars.
The meadow lark is invaluable t'
the farmer, as his food consists o.
. soventy-fye per cent OF insects and
. twelve per cent OF weed seed.
The robin is a very beneficial bird
although charged by some, especially
small fruit growers. with eating frui
: TO an Injurious extent. This how
ever, has not been my own exper
ience in growing fruit for the pas
twenty-three years. The robin
food, according to the U. s. biologi
cal survey reports, consist OF cult
waited fruit III per cent, wild frni
ABB per cent. insect food 1918 pc
cent. and miscellaneous 5.22 per cen
which shows an economic balance o
b good work to his credit.
7 The tree sparrows are only with u
in winter. so that the benefits derived
from their presence lie In another al
rection from that of most other birds
b They destroy immense numbers o
I rag weed and other nonous "ee'
, seeds. estimated at quarter oune'
per day for each bird. A writer y
, ths New York Times. in 1881 esti
mated thft the weed seed destroyed
fConffnued ON page eight.)