The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1908-03-06
The Expansion Of Our Bird Life.
(By Miss Estella Crowder.)

Dlrd lie ABOUT our homes! while
at present the decrease in bird life
seems powerfully in the ascendant
yet according to the laws of biology
there is no reason that this should be
so. In every living object there are
Unreasonable possibilities. Given g
chance to develop to it's utmost and
! there Is no life germ so tiny but
that it could fill the world with its
species in marvelously short time
A pair of birds eggs, with proper
care and protection, can within ten
years produce over one hundred mil
lion birds. Therefore, If we do not
have sufficient numbers of birds il
| is because we do not know enough
about their propagation, or knowing
do not care to act upon our knowl-
edge.
Along with the infinite possibili
ties of bird multiplication there is
another biological law which should
be of great service to us. This law
states that every particle of living
matter is capable of development and
improvement. In the plant life
Luther Burbank has shown us that
the best fruit and the sweetest flower
has not yet been produced. The
same is true of animal life. BY
studying and applying the laws of
nature the world can be made to
contain birds of infinitely sweeter
song and more beautiful plumage.
Since, by our higher intelligence, we
are becoming masters of the world,
it is dependent on our every action
whether we tend to make our land
a garden or a desert, thing of joy
and beauty or place of sorrow.
The American naturalist, John
Burroughs, remarks that if our birds
felt secure in our presence that even
now they would sing more sweetly.
He says of the tanner English birds,
"They sing with more confidence and
copiousness, and as if they, too, had
been touched with civilization
Again, if our birds felt more con-
fidence in us and our protection, if
they were allowed to be with us un-
disturbed, they would come to us
freely. Thoreau, Celia Thapter and
Joaquin Miller are some of those who
have entertained great flocks of birds
about their homes If we would re-
ceive them into full fellowship our
fields, parks and cities would soon
become populated with our common
birds.
With caution we might introduce
some foreign bird life, thus bring
ing about us the most rare and mel,
odious songsters. But it were best
to first develop and make the most
priceless value and are an inheri-
lance both rich and rare They have
been fitted by the action of ages to
meet the exact conditions of our
land
Since the possibilities for develop
ment and increase of bird life are
so great, why have we no more birds
than we have? Has the natural |
limit been reached? Has Idaho
fewer resources than Wyoming? Are
the natural conditions in Utah so
widely varied that bird life in
,reases there while it decreases
lere? @,.,.,
There are several fa Iastto6ffs x determ-
ming the amount bird life in any
English sgarrows, supply of PREFER
~ iooR and water, and suitable nest
hs Places are some of the influences
o be most considered.
I One thing is necessary and pre-
)aratory to having our native birds
in the cities and also in
many parts of the country. The spar
'ow is worse than valueless, for
while he does nothing toward the
of harmful insects, he
las attacked the fields and orchards
n the most destructive way.
That the English sparrow must be
is now becoming rec
'gnized fact. The U. s. Department
# Agriculture states the case in
Bulletin No. l. THE English Spar
ow in North America" The evil
lence is summed up in the follow
ng.
"The English sparrow is curse
# such virulence that it ought to be
ttacked and destroyed before 1t be-
ONES necessary to deplete the pub
lc treasury for the purpose, as has 4
zen done in other countries. BY
oncerted action, and by taking ad-
antage of its gregarious habits, ,
much good may be accomplished
'ith little or mo- expenditure of