The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1908-06-07

Differing widely. as they do. in strUc-
ture and habits. birds collectively are
able in mans interests 70 police earth.
air. and water. The thrushes and other
ground feeders scour the earth and hunt
under leaves for hidden insects. The
warblers, titmice. nuthatches, creepers,
and others search among the foliage and
in the crevices Of bark for all manner of
creeping things The woOdpeckers, a
highly specialized group. perform a serv-
ice no other birds are equal 70. since
with their specially designed chisels they
dig into wood and drag forth the hidden
larvae that prey on our forest mOnarchs.
The hycatchers from their perches dash
out for their prey as IL flies from bush 10
bush or tree 10 tree. while the swallows
and swifts skim the air and with intri-
cate evolutions snap up such insects as
have escaped the active search of their
brethren nearer earth. The waters. too.
and their shores. have their feathered
denizens which exact special tribute OF
the insect world.
Plny Important Part.
So that, quite aside from questions Of
sentiment. birds must be adjudged 10 play
an active and important part in keeping
natures balance true, writes Henry W.
Henshaw in the National Geographic
Magazine. Their role IS all the more i'm
portant, since no other creatures are 1T
ted for their special duties. Moreover.
II we may judge the future BY the past.
the services OF birds must become in
creasingly valuable as time goes on Ag-
riculture, always important in the United
States. is constantly assuming greater
importance The stream of immigration
from the Old World and the steady in
crease of our own millions mean an ever
augmenting consumption of food at home,
while the demand from abroad for Amer
lean foodstuns never ceases for a mo-
ment To supply this triple demand. bet
ter methods OF tillage must be devised
and more and more acreage must be de-
voted 10 agriculture.
Greater Food supply Needed.
But increased acreage and larger crops
mean vast increase Of insect life as
the result OF a more constant and album
Gant supply of food. Even nov. despite
the incessant warfare waged against
them. insects are not diminishing in num-
bers. On the contrary, in many localities
they are increasing. Especially are new
pests finding their way into the country.
and as these usually are unaccompanied
by the enemies which keep them in
check at home, they frequently run riot
| in the new-found paradise. Well-known
instances are the cotton boil weevil and
the gypsy and brown-tailed moths. 1t Is
estimated by entOmologists that the an
nual loss OF agricultural products from
insect ravages in the United States is not
/ less than S500,000,000 To birds, then, we
must look for allies in the continuous
/ warfare against insect pests. and II they
are 20 play even the same relative part
/ in the future as they have In the past
they should not only be protected. but
determined efforts should be made 70 in
crease their numbers and make their
/ work more effective.
! What would happen were birds exter-
minated no one can foretell with absolute
| certainty but Il is more than hkely-nay.
il is almost certain-that within a limited
/ time not only would successful agricul-
ture become impossible but the destruc-
! ton Of the greater part OF vegetation
would follow.