Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-11-27
BIRDS And BUGS.

D.
and the bugs are here to feed the birds.
and this is about as far as most people
get In their study of these two impor-
tant factors in the growth and develop-
ment of plant life. These bugs. which
Is generic term including all the vast
and multiplied army of insect life, have
a mission when one studies their habits
and work which goes far beyond the
commonplace one of furnishing food
Tor the birds. For one thing, they are
absolutely indispensable in natures
plan of fertilization of the bloom of all
plants. Others. seemingly useless, live
TO furnish food for those that are use
fui; some are sections and scavenpers
to rid the earth of dead and decayinr
vegetable and animal life; many serve
to limit natures tremendous tendency
to overproduction of grain and fruit:
others store food for man, as in the case
of the honeybee. while none but has an
important mission in the worlds econo-
my. Now, the same tendency of over
production is just as manifest in the
case OF the insects as in the case of the
bloom and the fruit on a tree or seed
formation of any sort, and right here is
where the relation of the bird to the
bug becomes of the greatest Importance
to the farmer and fruit grower. The
birds are the natural enemies of the
bugs and by making a continuous war
upon them for food tend in the most
marked and effective manner to limit
the propagation of these numerous
forms Of insect life, and so it is now
easy to see that when man makes war
on the birds he is disarranging the ma
chinery of nature as much as he would
that OF some great factory if he deliber-
ately stuck crowbar into the main
cogwheels of the machinery or tied a
weight on the safety valve of the boiler.
If there are too few birds there will be
too many insects and they become like
the plaques in Egypt; if too few insects
the number of birds decreases for lack
of food, and the good work done by the
bugs is thus secured. The laws of the
states, most of them, wisely protect
nearly all of our birds, the only exemp-
tions in most states being the crow, the
sparrow and the blue jay, to which we
think should be added the butcher bird.
which is an all.round brigand and pirate,
and menace to other bird life. If
your small boy feels that he must go
out and kill something about as soon as
ne can toddle, which, because of an in
herited barbarian instinct, he is almost
sure to do, set him to work on the spar
rows, which are becoming a national
pest, and teach him to respect and spare
all of our insectivorous and song birds
as the best friends which the American
farmer has. This bird question is of so
much Importance in an economic way
that it should be taught in every home
and in all our schools as one of the ten
commandments of our American civili-
cation.
Insects are injuring the crops in this
country yearly, and that noxious
weeds double the expense to the
farmer. 1t is only by means of
birds that these insects and weeds can
be destroyed; but the birds of the
country are being killed faster than
they can breed? These are the facts
that the country is facing just now.
They are extremely important facts.
Because of this it seems urgent that a
comprehensive bird survey of the country
be made, to determine how many birds
of each species exist, what species is in
danger of becoming extinct, and what
means may be employed to protect and
preserve ali birds.
How many birds are there in the
United States? No one knows. Yet,
basing figures on the recent work of
tive young men who made a bird survey
of Illinois, it is estimated that there
must be Ala. 900. 600 in all. These birds
must care for the 842, 900. 600 acres OF
farm lands in this country and supply q
progeny that can care for that same
acreage and for the other farm lands
that are being added at the rate OF
thousands or acres every year.
With the general exception of the
English sparrow, the rice bird, and one
or two members of the hawk family,
tireless biologist has proved all birds
invaluable aids to the farmer. He has
even removed the age-long stigma from
the jay, the blackbird, cuckoo, gros
beak, and thrush. In the case of the
red wing blackbird he has showed thai
' 81 per cent of the food eaten was tn,
seed of noxious weeds that were injur
ious to crops, while Is per cent wa,
divided between noxious insects ant
farm grain. The bob-o'-link, that merry