The Monte Vista journal. (Monte Vista, Rio Grande County, Colo.) 1888-1921, 1908-09-12

lives almost wholly on winged insects
OF the Injurious kind. 1t also has an
appetite for bees. and 1t was this
marked taste that made trouble for
the bird. Its numbers began to d.
minish under persecution. and then
some Of the members Of Uncle Sans
biological survey who had suspicion
that the kingbird was being treated
badly, began an investigation. 1t was
necessary to be cruel to some hun
dreds Of individuals in order to be
kind to the entire family. kingblrds
were killed and their stomachs were
examined. 1t was found that nearly
everything they ate was something
which. living. was inimical to the farm
er's interest Bees were found in some
numbers in the stomach. but strangely
enough the kingbirds had distin-
guished between bees and bees, SO
to speak, and had left the workers
alone to dine of the worthless drones.
When this statement Of the authori-
ties was published in bulletin form
by the government the bee-keepers
thought the matter was a huge joke
and laughed at the investigations OF
the scientists. The bee men were In
duced to do little Investigating
themselves. and after q few months
close observation they were willing
to let Tyrannus stay unmolested on
his perch above the hives.
There Is 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 its
protection. This bird in the northern
states. for practically the whole
breadth OF the continent, is known as
the nighthawk (chordeiles virginian.
us), while In the south It Is called the
bull bat. The nighthawks are resi-
dents both of the city and country.
They may be heard after shutdown
emitting q peculiar suueaking note far
up above the office buildings of the
great busy towns. 1t Is only within
comparatively recent years that the
nighthawks have shown liking for
city life. they have found in gravel
covered roofs a 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 nighthawk xigxags its way
across the sky in q flight that 1t
makes the head swim to watch. 1t has
long wings and is thickly feathered. n
circumstance which gives It 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 20 many
hours. The food consists Of insects
taken on the wing and the bird fills
Its great stomach almost to breaking
The Wholesale killing OF the night.
hawks entails an almost incalculable
injury upon agricultural interests
The instances which have been Civ.
en- are sufficient to show the necessity
for the preservation of certain forms
OF the bird life Of the United States.
The examples Of the birds usefulness
to man might be extended until they
comprise nearly every family OF birds
on the continent. There are Of course
some injurious species. but these all
taken together would number, Us
someone has put It. but few more
birds than were found In Lord Dun.
dreary's famous flock