The Utah County Democrat. [volume] (Provo City, Utah) 1898-1909, 1908-09-17
BIRD LIFE HUMAN ESSENTIAL

lives almost wholly on winged insects
Of the Injurious kind. II also has an
appetite for bees, and II was this
marked taFte that made trouble for
the bird Its numbers began TO d.
minlsh under persecution. and then
some Of the members OF Uncle Sans
biological survey who had q suspicion
that the kingbird was being treated
badly. began an Investigation. II was
necessary TO be cruel to some hun
dreds OF individuals in order to be
kind to the entire family. Klngbirds
were killed and their stomachs were
examined II was found that nearly
everything they ate was something
which. living. was inlmlcal to the farm
er's interest Bees we're found IN some
numbers In the stomach. but strangely
enough the klngblrds had distin'
gulshed between bees and bees. so
TO speak. and had left the workers
alone TO dine on tho worthless drones.
when this statement OF the authori-
ties was published In bulletin form
by the government the bee-keepers
thought the matter was huge Joke
and laughed at the investigations OF
the scientists. The bee men were In
duced 20 do little investigating
themselves, and after few months
close observation they were willing
10 LET Tyrannus stay unmolested on
his perch above the hives.
There is n bird OF the sky which the
government OF the United states re-
CARDS so favorably that there recently
has been Issued and sent broadcast
through the land special plea for It's
protection. This bird In tho northern
states for practically the whole
breadth OF the continent. Ia known as
the nlghthawk (chordelles virginian.
usl, while In the south II is called the
bull bat The nighthawks are resi-
dents both Of the city and country.
They may be heard after shutdown
emitting a peculiar suueaking note far
up above the Office buildings of the
great busy towns II is only within
comparatively recent years that the
nighthawks have shown liking for
city life They have found In gravel.
covered roofs fair substitute for the
stony country field in which In former
years they made their nests. Their
eggs are now found frequently upon
the roofs OF office buildings In all the
large cities OF the country.
The nlghthawk zigzags It's way
across the sky In flight that II
makes the head swim 10 watch. II has
long wings and Is thlckly feathered, q
circumstance which gives Il an appear
ance of size that is not real.
In reporting on this bird the gov
eminent expert said: "This enormous
stomach must be kept filled to supply
motive power for the long wings
which are kept In motion so many
hours. The food consists OF insects
taken on the wing and the bird fill
It's great stomach almost TO breaking
The Wholesale killing OF the night
hawks entails an almost incalculabl'
injury upon agricultural interests
The instances which have been CIV
on are sufiicien 10 show the necessit!
for the preservation of certain form
OF the bird life OF the United States
The examples of the birds usefulness
TO man might be extended until the.
comprise nearly every family OF bird
on the continent. There are OF course
some injurious species. but these al
taken together would number, n
someone has put II, but few NOR
birds than were found In Lord Dur
idreary's famous flock.