The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1910-03-09

four fifths o: the area Of the United
states birds with beautiful feathers
have been nearly cxt-gmin,ttcd Tho
our country figures in the list as one
of the chief culpr!ts. there IL Reason
10 believe that the tide has changed
and that the birds have 4 chance once
more u live. and multiply Will.
there are no exact statistics observers
! have noted that during The, past four
or five years that there arr more song
>ters in our meadows and trees than
! a few years ago. Due largely to the
work of TN. Nadstrom Society. there
( are six reservations where. birds arr.
qua rded during the breeding season.
| The L.naSouni branch mas taken
! lease Of Twenty-Five islands. Zach 81
| which is the breeding plaC" -: larS.
colonies OF birds. such a. ROYAL and
| Babals. terms and black Swimmers
/ The number Of ward-n> have b--n
constantly Increased Clubs are being
formed in schools awakening intar-s,
among the children. for among them
lies thu greatest hop" -: the perma-
ncnCy of the movement for sad IL
! relate. the young boy with his gun
seems To be- the enemy Of birds.
Speaking IF enemies. tn" worst enemy
apart from man is the domestic cat.
on" at low estimate. VIII devour
fifty birds.
\ cat tan would 4" much in the
in"sting season: on Il single farm. a
cat tax would do much {" help tn,
multiplication OF birds Wondchucks
and the willy crows destroy eggs Of
birds much often"r than is known
SparroWs too must not H.. allowed TO
become too numerous. They eat eggs
and young birds that have escaped
tn" carly cold storms az tn" summer.
THAT may all be- true, | hear some
one say. For as much as | love. birds
their beautiful plumage. their lovely
songs. but All living things here are
their enemies and how can W" protect
them from everything? That again
is true. but let us take up the eco
nomic value of birds and I think if
carefully considered. not only our
isympathy would be enlisted bu; zeal
land ZeSt that is too often given To-
things OF lesser value. Quoting from
VIM. Dutche according To the census
, Of 1900. Their. ar. 6.139.65I farms.
! with 4 total acreage S41.20l. $40 The
valuation of thcs" farms are placed at
the sum of S2o.5li.00l.S3S. 1t is said
that insects and rodents destroy prod
!, ucts annually To the astonishing mon
ey value OF $500. 00O. 900. even with tn"
birds as protectors. Try II imagine
, what the additional loss would be.
We're all the birds destroyed The
crop of one dove recently killed in
Tennessee contained over 1000 weed
seeds. and when il is understood that
Il healthy dove Will destroy at each
feeding. At least 1000 prospective
weeds more than two negroes. work
. ing at $50 Il day. could uprOot in
double the time. il il 50 easy to see
that tons upon tons Of weed seed
| (beSides insects would he destroyed
each year by these birds. and that the
. cheapest live hands in the end would
j. b.. the dove As an insect destroyer
. the bull bat. or night hawk. is equally
!. serviceabe. Its stomach * elastic
" and will hold more than a pigeons
= and right here is where the bull bat
usefulness appears. This enormous
stomach must be kept filled TO supply
. motive power for the long wings
/. which are kept in motion for - many
= hours. and TO facilitate this work, ma
/. ture has given this bird an immense
mouth which is really NOR. like III.
: mouth Of turtle or a frog than Z
= bird TIL. food consists OF insects
!. the bird that il fills its stomach al.
= most to bursting. T" ascertain tn,
n character of tn. food taken, IS stom.
d achs We're examined. In -. 200 4
q 1SVn were found The part borne ~
this bull-bat or night hawk in mos
: quito destruction. especially in aro.
, phcle~ or malaria spreading species
~ transcends the combined work "f
: cas-. nf nujninr and I tank OF k-nos-n.
oil a. a fever abator in a malaria
district 3 flock al bull bats would y.
l. worth a square Of quinine trees
lSp"aking "f the robin. which IS too
common bird 10 need an introduc
: ton W. again quot" VIM. Dutch"
chairman - protective committe'
n American prnichulogiSts. IN both d"
| the destructive. and economic Valu" n
J the robin. He says n central Tn
= -SS,.. Their. are Large tracts IL cedar
>. which seem T. attract myriad> of rob
- inS IN IT,. winter. one small hamlet IL
4 this district S-nds enough robins an
=, luUally - return $500 at fiv- cents
4 DOZEN. equal - 1000" birds. M,
- informant" he adds. says ;h-y al
q caught AZ night in the roosts amonj
!, tha cedars. We GO n the r"ostS a
night wiki stick and Kill them
, lothers climb the trees and catch then
as they fly in. one NJ the officers y
tn. Louisiana Audubon Society. FUR
ni~h-s th- following information:
conServa tiV-- "Srirnate "f numb-r
- killed annually bling from 4 quartz
- Il a million 10 million. whore the,
are unusually plentiful. One gum"
alone killed over 80" robins DAY
That he robin j. n Very beautiful Dir
th.r. IS no doubt. ..lth"' il is elaine
ny some persons. especially small f-Ul
growers. the- h.. -ats cultivated fruit
- an Injurious extent. is CAarg- J
confined :" sT-cia! locations. and :
Il very limited period and - not a
l. al general TIL" table e: food shown
. = ina; cultivated fruit : only "at"
- any serious -Xt-ut during tn
months II jun and July. whom
amounts 70 81 yer cent. during tn
SAM months IS p-r .-nt OF !ns-c
n food : consumed. showing TIL ben~f
] t. largely .-xc--d tE- 3amag- tn
cultivated fruit eaten N Dec. n b.
vas vast" fruit that was lift on tr-a
Or vines a. worthless. In The South
orn country. where the robin X no
y protected. il cannot ~ claimed TIA
il eats cultivated fruit. as The bird
not resident there except in wint@l
The analysis OF the - per cent : no
only Of interest but highly inStruc