The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-07-09
BIRDS
|NSECT-F|GHTERS
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harmful insects are scarcely less valu-
able. 1t vigorously attacks cucumber
beetles and many Of the scale insects.
1t proved an active enemy OF the Rocky
Mountain locust during that insects
ruinous invasions. and among the other
pests IL consumes are the spring and
fall cankerworms, orchard and forest
ten caterpilars, tussock. gypsy, and
brown-teil moths. plum curculio. army
worm ana chinch bug. In fact, not one
of our birds has a better record. The
rcsebreast attacks the worst enemies
Of agriculture. making them its fav-
orite prey, ano time after time 1t has
rendered valuable aid in checking their
destructive infestations
Cardinals range from Southern Mex
leo. Lower California and Arizona,
north to Iowa and Ontario. and ca st
TO the Atlantic coast. They are per-
manent residents. spending the sum-
mer and winter in the same locality. 1t
has been claimed that they pull sprout-
ing grain. but no evidence OF damage
10 either grain or other crops is af-
forded BY the examination of more
than 500 stcmachs. on the other hand.
the evidence is ample that they do
much good
The black headed grosbeak ranges
lunibia. North Dakota and Nebraska.
II nils the same place in the West that
the rUscbreast docs in the East and
economically is fully as important. In
parts OF its range IL is destructive TO
early fruit and attacks also green peas
and beans. However. since by proper
precautions such losses may be mini
mized or altogether prevented. they
should not be given too much weight
in estimating the value of the bird.
Instead OF being regarded as an enemy
by Western orchardists. the black
head should be esteemed as friend.
since 1t is foe to the worst pests
or hortlculture-the scale insects
which compose a fourth of its food
A strictly Southern Bird.
This small but beautiful bird, the
blue grosbeak. breeds over the South
ern two thirds of the United States 1t
Is rather rare in The Northeastern part
of this range. but is common locally in
the Southern and Western parts. Blue
grosbeak do no damage during the
nesting period. and. in fact are of
gree: value to any farm they choose
for home. since they eat large num-
bers of injurious insects and feed their
young exclusively upon them. In GER
tain localities, however, after the
breeding season. blue grosbeak collect
In flocks. move into grainhelds, parti-
cularly those OF oats and rice, and
sometimes do considerable harm De-
spite such depredations. the loss of
cereals is repaid MANIFOLD. since the
birds consume almost five times as
much Insect food as grain. Moreover,
some OF the insects they devour are
especially destructive. More than a
fourth of the seasonal food is composed
of grasshoppers. including the lesser
migratory locust.
How to Attract Birds.
Planting wild fruit is important for
the purpose of attracting birds. Be
sides the fruits above mentioned, the
following are valuable: Dogwoods.
hollies. Junipar. bayberry. Virginia
creeper. blueberries. blackberries and
wild grapes. Not all the thickets on n
farm should be removed. since they
serve 10 harbor birds, to protect them
from enemies. and to furnish nesting
sites Where thickets are lacking. the
growth of artificial ones should be en-
couraged, for they are very attractive
TO grosbeaks. particularly to the cardi-
nal.
a permanent drinking and bathing
place on the farm and in the garden
is to be numbered among the most po-
tent attractions for birds and with a
little ingenuity one can be prepared in
almost any locality. Winter feeding
serves to attract the cardinal. which