The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-11-09
FARMERS BIRD FRIEND
THEY SHOULD ALI BE PROTECT
ED FROM THEIR ENEMIES.
There Is Not One of Them That
Is Not Worth Ten Times His
Weight i'll Gold.

Mr.. James Henry Rice, Jr., secre-
tary of the Audubon Society, says
information has been received OF
the wholesale killing OF larks and
woodpeckers in some parts Of the
State, especially of the yellow-ham-
mer, or golden winged woodpecker.
This is said to go on the whole year
round without abatement, save when
the larks migrate to their nesting
grounds in the north ana north
west. Ee says the outbreak of wire
worms in Colleton county, which is
still going on without any sign OF
stopping and causing widespread de-
struction to the crops of that county,
which government scientists are pow
erless to control, was brought on by
the killing Of larks.
The wireworm is the offspring of
|'the click beetle or swapping bug. and
the worms or larve are hatched out
under ground; they do their work
on the roots of plants, causing total
destruction to cotton, corn and other
crops. Since they are under ground
no bird but boring bird can get at
them, and no bird takes anything
like so many of them as the lark.
He eats so freely of these worms
that boys say the lark is "wormy
in the spring of the year, 76 per
cent of the total food of the lark
consists of insects.
The salvation of our forests de-
pends on the work of the woodpeck-
ers. Without them boring into
the bark and extracting insects that
are devouring the soft inner bark
of the tree, or cambium, as it is
called, all trees would perish in a
short time. Of the woodpecker tribe,
the yellow-hammer, or golden-wing-
ed woodpecker, or flicker, as he is
variously called, is easily chief, for
he is the greatest ant-eater in North
America. When he is feeding his
young the yellowhammer will con-
sumo fully a quart of ants daily
He has been known to consume o.
600 ants in a few hours.
Ants are among the most destruc-
tive OF all insects, since they carry
plant lice to the roots of different
planta, thereby killing the planQ.
Much of the cotton wilt is due to
the work of ants and plant lice
Ants are particularly destructive to
gardens, both vegetable and flower
gardens. The chief check on their
spread is the yellow-hammer. and
the killing of one yellow-hammer
turns loose untold thousands, and
possibly, millions lof ANTS on the
community. Both birds (woodpeck-
ers and larks) are practically harm:
| less to crops, as can be easily shown
The law of South Carolina (ac'
Eof 1905) forbids the killing of either,
ias did the old South Carolina crimi-
| nal code. According to this act the
following birds are game birds ano
may be killed at the time allowed
by law, all the rest being protected
except three hawks, one owl, and
the English sparrow. Here are the
game birds:
Swans, wild geese, ducks, brant,
curlew, snipe, woodcock, partridge
rails( or coots as they are known
locally) including the clappere rail
or marsh hen, gallinules, doves, wild
turkey, ru:ed grouse, monaghan
pheasant, sand-pipers and surf birds,
rice birds, blackbirds.
All other birds shall be consider
ed non-game birds and must not be
killed at any time; nor shall a per-
son buy, sell or have in his or her
possession any part of the plumage,
skin or body Of non-game bird;
nor shall their nests or eggs be dis
turbed. This is the law Of South
Carolina, made before there was an
Audubon Society in the State.