Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-04-06
A Plea for Bird Protection.


Sir: The letter Of Mr.. l.. Moth Iver-
son in The News Of Friday last is a
sensible argument 10 favor Of pro-
| tccting those species OF native birds
which we sim have with us. Ny only
part In this matter. 10 which he con-
siderately refers. has been 10 quote
from bird specialists. some Of the facts
and conditions that emphasize the ne
cessity. even az this late day. for car
rying out such suggestions as your
correspondent makes in behalf OF the
swallows. the bluebirds, and the ground
owl And after relating one significant
fact Of today. ] shall ask you 90 give
space 20 other arguments by leading
ornithologists Of the country in be
half Of our friends the native birds.
The special incident Is this At the
state Normal Training school. the pu-
pills recently put up some boxes for
bluebirds to nest in and pair OF
them Immediately occupied box
that swings within a few rods ~ the
building. All week the pupils watched
with interest the ways N these gentle
creatures. the female bird was Killed,
by the man. or boy with a gun;
DO not shoot us. Hiawatha'
and the bird house was shot through
with several bullets. Such wanton
cOnduCt-not to call II savagery-
should be firmly repressed: these birds
are worth saving. VIII YOU permit me
TO call witnesses 20 prove this claim
Let us hear first from Longfellow;
And the birds sang round him, DER
him.
DO not shoot us. Hiawatha"
sang the OpeChee. the Robin.
Sang tine Bluebird. the Owialssa.
BIRDS ACCUsED-NOT GUILTY.
After the examination OF about
forty birds, the only one actually sem
fenced 20 death IL the English spar
row. or an the accused hawks. only
three have been found guilty Of the
charges made against them-the gos-
hawk, COopers and the sharp
shinncd-while the rest are numbered
among the best friends Of the farmer
and fruit grower OF the woodpeckers,
the sapsucker may be beneficial or In
furious according 90 circumstances,
but the rest Of the family are highly
beneficial To most Of the remaining
birds put on trial. the evidence Is de-
cidedly creditable. The crow, crow
black bird. and cedar bird are ac-
quilted. as doing more good than
harm and IL is proved that agricul-
turalists owe especial protection and
friendship 10 the phoebe kingbrd. cat
bird, swallow, brown thrasher, gros-
beaS, wren. vireos cuckoo, orlcle. shore
lark shrike and meadow lark. -
Florence Merriam Bailey
THE FARMERS FRIENDS.
This was the result OF careful inves-
tigation OF the food habits Of birds
supposed 10 he Injurious. The verdict
is mot guilty" Birds form a large
army OF farm protectors. They guard
orchards. meadow. and garden.
Careful estimates place the annual
HHnHF tod
States az 500 900. 900 a loss incredibly
large but carefully verified. And even
these figures, enormous as they APP
pear. do not include the damage In
hicted by insects on ornamental shrub
berry. on shade and forest trees or IN
lawns and flower gardens. Insects are
the enemies Of vegetation. and birds ]
are the enemies OF Insects,
WHAT BIRDS ARE DOING.
consider for a moment" writes
Chapman. what the birds are doing |
for US any summer day, when insects |
are SO abundant that the hum Of their |
united voices becomes an almost in |
hercnt part Of the atmosphere. In
the air. swallows and swifts are rapid |
In coursing to and fro, ever In pur- |
suit OF the insects that constitute
their sole food. when they retire. |
the night hawks and whipporwills take |
up the chase, catching moths and oth-
pr Nocturnal insects which would escape /
1ay-hying birds. The fiycatchcrs lie in |
walt. darting from ambush At passing Z
prey. and with a suggestive click Of /
the bill returning 10 their post. The
active creatures
7uttcr about the terminal foliage. and 1
with almost the skill Of a humming !
bird. pick insects from leaf or blos-
som The vireos patiently explore
he underside Of leaves and odd hooks
ana corners TO see that mo skulker es-
,ares The woodpeckers. nuthatches
and creepers attend 10 the tree trunk
and limbs. examining carefully each
nch OF bark for insects eggs and
arvae. or excavatlng for the ants and
,orers they hear az work within. on |
he ground. the hunt Is continued by
he thrushes fnative) sparrows ana
,ther birds. who feed upon the innu-
nerable forms Of terrestrial Insects
rev places IN which insects exist are
neglected: even some species which
Ass their earlier stages or entire lives
n the water are preyed upon by aqua
ic birds"
SPECIFIC INSTANCES
Forbush. the Massachusetts ornithol-
.rist states that the stomachs OF four
hickadees contained LOIS eggs Of the
Tho stomachs Of four I
ther birds OF the same species con-
aimed COO eggs and 1875 female moths Of
his insect. each moth containing about
S. eggs. Since a chickadee may eat 30
f the canzerworm moths per day, II
would consume 13s.75O eggs OF this nox-
ous insect during the twenty-five days !
n which these moths crawl up trees.
THE Birds Of n Maryland Farm" is
he title Of government bulletin Civ
ng in detail the food habits Of a great
1any OF the birds. The pamphlet II
Illustrated and costs only fifteen cents.
I amply proves all that Is here con-
ended for A copy OF this interesting
tbucation ought 10 he found in every
chool and perhaps In every home IL
nay be purchased from the Superinten-
ent Of Documents, Washington, ID. c. |
PROTECTORS OF ORCHARDS.