The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-11-17

is only 80 cents bottle at the
j. G. Wannamaker Mfg. Co., or by
express, charges prepaid. from
Giroux Mfg. Co., Buffalo, N. Y.
will swallow a sparrow or humminS
bird. This Is believed to result
through accident, the bird being
taken for a large moth. None of
these should ever be killed. Their
value is incalculable.
Sparrow-Hawk-The handsomesL
of the hawk family and entirely
harmless, except for the killing of
an occasional small bird, but this
is more than offset by the immense
quantity of grasshoppers and othe"
noXous insects taken.
Screech-Owl-A bird Of no HARM
full habits and one of value because
of feeding at nights on destructive
moths.
The schreech owl is a great de-
strcyer Of the noctuid moths, whose
progeny, the cutworms, are estimated
to inflict an annual loss on fields and
gardens throughout the United
States of two hundred million dol
lars each year. Screech owls also
destroy numbers of mice and rats.
All the owls are valuable birds and
far more beneficial than harmful,
except the great horned owl, whose
inroads on poultry and game con-
denim it. The great horned owl is
vicious and the only one of ou:
resident owls that is harmful 70
poultry. It may be easily distin-
guished by the great ear tufts nearly
two inches long, by the feathercd
legs and feet, by the white patch
under the throat and by it's siza.
it being % inches long and its wing
is Is inches. If for nothing else,
the amount of field mice and meadow
mice killed by owls would entitie
them to mans protection.
Hawks-Without going too far
into details, it is sufficient to say that
nearly all hawks are friends Of man.
The exceptions arc we'll known and
these are the sharp-shinned hawk,
known locally as the "blue darter." :"
the chicken hawk or Cooper's hawk
and the duck hawk (peregrine fa!-
COM of%the marshes. This duck
hawk is not to be confused with
the marsh hawk, so familiar an OBJ
ject as he sweeps over the fields,
hunting his prey. The marsh hawk
is valuable for destroying mice, for
catching out the diseased game birds
and thus keeping the rest healthy
by preventing spread of epidemics.
Humming- g-Bird-The ruby-throat-
ed hummng- is the only one
known east Of the Mississippi river.
He is an insect feeder and spends
his time taking insects from the
cups of flowers, being able to swal-
low insects so large as to appear
incredible. He also takes
honey, too, and can be taught to take
it from the hand.
The Brown Thrasher-The thrash
er, the mavis, of the poets, gets its
name from the habit of thrashing
its tail on the ground while feeding.
The long bill is ever ready to snatch
up the iuckless worm, revealed by
Industrious scratching. l noticed a
thrashcr last winter in Aiken take
II worms in less than ten minute;
Cor rather the pupae or chrysales
OF moths, if our critical friends in
sistD
These are a few of the many in
sect eating birds in South Carolina.
It would tire the reader to make
the list longer at this time. or
course a great deal more might be
said about each bird named, but
they have been thus hurriediT
sketched in order to arrest the at
tention Of those who too often for"
get that human life itself, with al
its ramifying 'interest5 and cares,
is absolutely dependent on bird life
for its continued existence.
The needless girl, with bird or
her hat. could not be on the eartn
except for the loving care Of an
omniscent Providence that made tha
birt! for a purpose-for a purpose
The girl is trying TO set at naught.
JAMES HENRY RICE, JR.,
Secretary.