The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-04
HERE IS HOPE
 FOR TIE BIRDS

From the New York Evening Post To warn farmers and orchardists against the resurrection of the 17-year To- cust, or periodical cicada that will or-
 cur in certain areas of this country next spring, @ call for preserving the wild birds that destroy this pest is today being
 issued from the headquarters of the Ma tional Association of Audubon societies
 in this city.
 Two giant broods of these remarkable
 insects, that come to. ravage orchard vegetation only after incubation inter vals of 13 and r years. are scheduled
 by scientists as due to descend upon this continent within the next six months. Only the birds that can be counted upon to eat up by thousands the units in this
 swarming locust plague will avail to
 avert serious losses in the coming sea- son, it is declared
 Eating Locusts English sparrows, robins woodpeckers, orioles, scarlet tanagers, cuckoos gold finches and nuthatches have rendered
 the greatest service in devouring these periodical cicadae on their previous raids of the country, according to the records | of the government biological survey. that have been searched by the Audubon
 workers.
 | Eating the soft bodies of the locust | pest or their wings and heads al well, | catbirds flickers, towhees, gnatcatchers,
 martins, pewees thrushes. vireos, chick adees and flyeatchers are among their other destroyers. Only two species of all the birds examined at Washington
 have been found not to feed upon these destructive insects.
 | To protect these birds and all other in- l sect eaters through the coming months 1 Is declared to be an emergency measure | that must be seized upon by the farm
 CTS
 Shielded in tiny shells, the periodi-
 cal cicadae are today preparing to burst
 forth in countless multitudes over the | fields of both north and south, the en-
 tomological experts declare Unnum- | bered hosts of these weird insects with | In their tender sprouts the eggs that will bring forth the species IT years
 hence. Apple, peach and pear orchards | and vineyards will feel their destruc- tive power, the government author tiles admit, unless an abundant force
 of the wild birds Is preserved to lead the fight.
 Comprehensive state laws for the protection of the insect-eating birds and widespread efforts to shelter and
 feed them through the storms of next winter are advocated in this emer-
 gency by the National Association of Audubon societies, which has for years
 urged the people of America to con- slider such problems from the economic
 standpoint. The fear of the locust plague that
 is now spreading over the agricultural l sections only points the moral of our general campaign" said William | Butcher president of the association, | at It's headquarters, No. Al Broadway. | For years we have been working to arouse the country to the danger of the destruction of the insect-eating birds,
 that will be invaluable in this particu- l lar case, as they are in every case of insect pests. Since 1884, when these so- called 17-year locusts descended upon
 the Pilgrim fathers at Plymouth. the
 agricultural prosperity of this country
 encroachments that can be met only by the birds that nature has provided
 has been constantly menaced by insect as checks. not as targets for pot hunt CTS"