The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1909-08-30
SAVE THE BIRDS.
a Plea for the Farmers Feathered
Friends.

that every hunter, and especially
every small boy cruising the woods
know 1t follows:
1t is satisfactory to report that the
value and usefulness of many birds
as destroyers of insect pests is more
appreciated in Texas than formerly
and the necessity recognized Tor en-
couraging and protecting them. A
substantial increase in the number of
some species would enable them to
wage an effective war against many
injurious insects. including the boil
weevil. Investigations prove that
boil weevils are eaten by a number of
different kinds of birds, and particu-
larly by night hawks or bulIbats.
orioles and swallows From the
standpoint of the farmer and the or
chardist, perhaps no bird more use
ful than the swallow exists. They
eat nothing of value to man, and de-
stroy millions of winged insect pests,
including mosquitoes and housefies.
which breed in incredible numbers
around stables and outhouses. breed
ing all kinds of diseases with which
men and animals are affected. Tn
der the mistaken idea that swallows
are undesirable neighbors, their
nests, when found near houses, are
often destroyed; but the impression
that swallows breed parasites obnox-
iOus to man is entirely erroneous. In
parts of Europe the presence of swal-
lows around houses is so much desir-
ed that artificial nests, made of clay
and other materials, are put up in
order to attract by saving them the
labor of constructing their own DOM
iciles
1t is fact beyond dispute that GER
tain birds do some damage in or
chards, fields and gardens. but an
trial would often show that
on the whole the culprit really does
more good than harm Surely we
have intelligence enough to devise
means of checking the harm a bird
does without entirely depriving our +
selves of it's usefulness by killing it.
Close observations show that birds
prefer slid fruits. berries, etc, and
IL - SdN4ELfAA lCs " CAO4 u AAldl SOLlC
fruit growers are planting wild fruits,
etc. 10 feed and encOur-
age the very birds that others are
-houghtlessly killing. Ia searching
for food, and particularly When feed
ing their young. some birds destroy
immense quantities of harmful in
ieets, such as cut ants, plant lice.
wood bOrers. caterpillars. canker
worms, scale insects and many others
% injurious 10 fruit trees. Some
birds spend their entire time from
daylight till dark in searching the
runks and limbs of trees and the
-revices OF the bark for hiding in
iects, and examine every bud and
ca a. Tor insect eggs.
For several years work has been
in the fFuit-growing re-
lions of California to determine the
exact status of birds in their relation
o this great and growing industry.
The vicinity of orchards is known
@ be a favOrite home of birds, but by
10 means all the birds that nesC in
and about orchards are attracted by
he fruit On the contrary nume--
,Us species choose orchards as their
home. or as their hunting grounds.
because 1f The multitude Ct insects
which infest fruit and fruit trees.
'areful examination OF thc St0machS
Of orchard birds shows that by the
destruction OF injurious Insects most
If the birds that eat fruit more than
for The flamSge inev do
The moderate amount of fruit con-
sumed by such species may properly
be looked upon as pay for services
rendered, and IL may be added that
he service IS cheaply bought. In
he case of certain species which are
harmful 10 the fruit growers inter
ISIS remedial methods are suggested.
Special Investigations have been
made to determine the extent to
which birds pTy on scale insects
These dangerous pests are so small
and so sedentary that they have been /
generally supposed to be overlooked /
by birds Such proves 10 be by no
means the case, and no fewer than
species of birds have been
ascertained TO feed on scales More /
over. certain birds-the grOsbeak.
for instance-appear TO have q spe-
,iaI fondness for them and 10 hunt
them assiduOusly-
Besides the value of birds as de
of nOxious insects flies. mos
quitOes. rodents, reptiles and other
Eermin, many of the ground birds
perform continual useful service for
the farmer as weed destrOyers. by
enormous quantities of
weed seed The common dove is one
Of the most valuable birds engaged in
this important work. and the assist
ance II renders by destroying many
ions Of weed seed annually can hard
y be estimated Il was fortunate
Tor the agricultural Interests Of this
tate that the petitions presented dur
ing the last Session f TIE Texas leg
stature, 20 allow the slau=hlc. OF
these harmless and Ise5ul birds 10
commence in August o. September,
we're not granted
The present law for protecting non
game as well as game birds should
be strictly enforced
The hunters who are now killing