The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1910-12-30
BIRDS NTED,
To EAT INSECTS
Prof. HenshaW Gives Advice.
but Hedges With Certain
Reservations.
THE DANGERS OF IMPORTING
Successful Australian Methods
for Dealing With Similar
Insect Pests.

Il can unreservedly recommend
Baeolophus inornatus inornatus. Pen
thestes gambeH gambeli, Penthestes
rufescens neglectas, Psaltriparus Mini
musminimus and Chamaea fas-
ciata fasciata' These are not more
Filipinos coming to join the last batch
of cripples. neither are they Egyptian
heirogyIphics. No, they are merely
names, just ordinary common names
such as are used n the everyday bird
life OF the mainland. The longer the
name the shorter and smaller the bird
For instance the last spasm bat one Is
what the men who wander round the
earth with a big net and long hair call
the poor and inotfensiye little bush-tlt
These names occu- II a letter written
to Entomology Superintendent Ehrhorn
by H W. Henshaw # the bureau OF
biological survey at Washington, and
was read at the meeting OF the board
of agriculture on Wednesday. At
meeting of the board held on Novem-
Der q the matter of the introduction
of useful birds into Hawaii was
brought up and Mr.. Ehrhorn appointed
to look into the matter. The letter OF
Professor Henshaw was:
"Mr. Edward NJ Ehrhorn. SuperIn,
tendent of Entomology, Honolulu.
HDear sir:-Your letter of Novem-
Der % requesting information as TO the
desirability of importing foreign BIRDS
into the Hawaiian Islands for the pur-
pose of destroying noxioIs insects Is
received In reply / have to state that
the habits and standing of bird IN
its native home never afford absolutely
safe criteria from which TO judge what
it NAV do in a foreign country where
its habits may change considera bly,;
hence, the importation of any species
must always be regarded as an experl-
ment to be carefully watched till the
bird has become well established III its
new home and its habits there thor
oughly known.
at NAV be SET down 2s an axiom
that the introduction of birds, In large
part seed and fruit eaters. into any
agricultural country is to be avoided,
since such birds are almost SIRE to
prove nuisance by attacking fruit
and grain crops. The English sparrow
is a well known instance of the harm
that NAV come from the introduction
of a natural seed eater, only to COM
parativelv small extent insectivorous,
into the United States. Although IN
troduced also into the Islands, this bird
has apparently not thriven and IN
creased there as it does IN colder
climate, and hence so far has done com
parativelv little harm. Much the same
statement applies to the California
house finch now domiciled in several
of the Islands. Il Is a serious nuisance
in parts of California because 1t de-
strovs large quantities of small fruits,
and in time il may become nuisance
in the Islands.
HNeither the bcbolink nor any spe-
cies Of blackbird should be considered
for a moment as candidate for intro
duction. The former is a pest to the
rice planter. In 1880 when the rice
crop of South Carolina was valued at
upwards OF six millions of dollars, this
bird it was estimated destroyed at least
one-third Of the crop. 70 the value Of
two millions Of dollars.
1.-The Brewers bIackbir1 might pos
sibly prove an exception to the rule,
but it Is exceedingly gregarious in fail
and winter, and any birds that assem-
BILE in larger focks are to be regarded
with suspicion a. they are capable of
intiicting great damage on crops when
they turn their attention TO them.
II can see no harm likely to result
from the Introduction into the Islands
of any Of the small spotted woodpeck,
ers, as for instance. Gardner 5 wood
peeker LDrvO1ates nuNescens eairlneril.