The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-05-15
="=BY PROFESSOR w. Fl. OLIN--
Industrial Commissioner D. L. s. N. W. ExProfesso of
==Agronomy in Colorado Agricultural College.

OF pheasants TO the agriculturist is
scarcely sufficiently appreciated; the
BIRDS destroy enormous numbers Of in.
furious insects-upwards of 1900 wire
worms have been taken out of the crop
OF pheasant; if this number was con-
sumed in single meal, the total de-
Stroyed must be almost Incredible
'tThere is no doubt that insects are
preferred TO grain. One pheasant shot
ut the close of the shooting season had
in his crop 126 wire worms, one acorn,
one snail. nine berries and three grains
of wheat. From the crop Of another
pheasant 440 grubs Of the crane hy
and the daddy longlegs-thcse larvae
are exceedingly destructive to luscious
plants. From the crop of another
pheasant forty eight snail shells were
taken. Eight young vipers, weighing
about one-quarter of an ounce each,
were taken from the crop Of hen
pheasant.
AN instance is reported in the Lon
don Field of a pheasant, which when
found, had swallowed about six inches
of the tail part of the reptile was pro-
irudlng from the mouth OF the bird
both the bird and viper were dead
Another instance is recorded of n
pheasant which. on being killed, had
no less than 1925 leather Jackets
most destructive larvae-in its crop "
It is fond of carrots, potatoes, beets,
cabbage and turnips in tho winter time !;
although if dandelions are fed to Gagged
pheasants they will eat them in prefer
ence to most any vegetable food, roots
and all.
Like Weed Seeds.
The pheasant is also very fond Of
many of the wild weed seeds, such as
legumcs, thistles, especially the burr
thistle, wild carrots, sun1owers, wild
lettuce, mayweed, marsh elder and mus
tard seeds
AS table bird and also as a game
bird, the pheasant has been held as the
leading bird for these two qualities by
the kings, royalty, wealth and educated
people of the world for more than 1000
years as being Of the greatest sport
and richest dehcacy. No other bird
has held such position, and it will
be long time before any other bird
can gain such distinction.
Tho home of the Chinese ring neck
is largely in the mountains, as well
as in thc valleys of China, aud they
arc accustomed TO very severe weather
as it inhabits the high attitudes, and
yet adapts itself to the lower alti
tudes, as low as sea level. 1t is thor
oughbred bird, and has been imported
into England in considerable mum boTs
to breed up the English pheasant, Chi
ncse ring neck pheasants are doing
well, liberated in the mountains OF
Colorado, up 10 5000 feet altitude
The Feathered World, London:
Frank Finn, F. Il, s., says: "The Chi
nesc pheasant. like his human fellow
countrymen, is very hardy, and will
thrive anywhere, bearing the cold of
a United States winter and the heat Of
n Bengal summer quite we'll 1t is also
a good breeder and bears confinement
well "
The government statistics show that
the damages done to the growing crops
by insect pests, largely owing to the
destruction Of inseetivorous birds, is
estimated at something like $S00,O00,
600 per annum. This amount would
feed and care for many millions Of
pheasants and other insectivorous
birds.
Study Of Pheasants.
At the last annual meeting OF the
New York Geological society 500 900