The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1910-10-07

await the coming of darkness an,
pursue their journey under cover O
night Birds in their fight follow
coast lines and river valleys and from
observations made by telescope OF
clear nights, it is computed that mi
grating birds fly at height of from
one to three miles.
J The eyesight of birds is far super
ior to ours. The height to which
they fly gives them command of {
wide range of country. On ceal
nights they experience no difficulty
but when fog or clouds obscure the
landmarks they lose their way. The
Bartholdia states at the mouth of the
Hudson river is directly in the path
of the great stream of birds which
flows up and down this highway OF
migration. For this reason it is par.
ticularly destructive to birds which
travel at night. On one occasion, af-
ter hard storm, no less than four
teen hundred birds were picked up
at the base of the statue, having been
killed by striking the statue of the
pedestal on which it rests.
Economic ornithology treats of the
relationship of birds to man from the
standpoint of dollars and cents. CT
vilized man is natures worst enemy.
He Is disturbing element whose
presence constantly menaces the bal
ance of life. Few persons realize
| the inestimable value of birds to
man. They are the natural check
| upon the increase of insect life. Stop
to consider for moment the incalcu-
liable number of insects destroyed by
the birds which pass the great part
of each day hunting over our lawns
and through our orchards. fields and
woods for the pests that destroy We
getation On examination night
hawks stomach was found with 573
large winged ants, parts of y small
ants and 16 grasshoppers. Three
thousand ants make a meal for
flicker; one chicadee will destroy
$500 injurious insect eggs; one pair
of rase-breasted grosbeaks can in
week destroy all the potato bugs on
an acre of potato vines and then keep
them clean for the rest of the sea-
son. while a robin will dine On as
many worms as can be held in your
hand.
True 1t is that depredations of var
icus kinds have been committed by
birds. which, if considered alone
would render the perpetrators liable
to severe censure. Some of the crime
charged to the feathered tribe are
cherry stealing, grape puncturing, APP
pie picking corn pulling, grain eat
ing;t unintentional carrying from
place to place of scale insects; the
rObbing of pountry yards, etc. Some
of these crimes are genuine, while
others are imaginary. There can
no doubt in the minds of
people as to the true value
of these creatures. 1t is only the
biased and thoughtless per-
sons who will continue to ruthlessly
destroy any life without properly
its value. The United
States Department of Agriculture,
realizing the loss that often results
from the ignorant sacrifice of useful
BIRDS. constituted the Division of /
0rnithology. a court of appeal where
against the bird could be
eceived and investigated The meth
I'd used by this division is the ex-
Of bird stomachs to prove
heir actual food. After the exam
nation Of about eighty different kinds
u OhuS, tuC OHIy Onc ScuJcuCCu "
leath is the English sparrow OIL
III the accused hawks only three
ave been found guilty or the charges
referred against them and x is
roved beyond doubt that agricul-
urists owe special protection and
to the robin, bluebird,
hoebe martin, sparrow, kingbird, !
atbird, swallow brown thrasher, rose /
roasted grosbeeak, house wren orr !
les. shrike, wood thrush, red-winged
meadow lark, quail, and /
ANY others, all of which are found
the door yards, groves and fields A
our own South Dakota.
These feathered policemen are a
yer on the alert. The thrusEes, s
arrows, larks and wrens search the k
lrface of the earth for insects or h
mt among the leaves and peer un- z
,r logs and refuse for them. The '
arblers, creepers and nuthatches c]
an every part of tree or shrub, fl
unk, branches, leaves etc. The Il