The Holbrook news., 1911-07-07

horse flies. Adults and larvae of these flies have been found in the stomachs of the dowitcher, the pee toral sandpiper, the hudsonian godwit and the killdeer. Two species of shorebirds, the killdeer and upland blower, still further befriend cattle by devouring the North American fever tick. Among other fly larvae con stunned are those of the crane flies Qeatherjackets).
 Another group of insects of which the shorebirds are very fond Is grass hoppers. Severe local infestations of grasshoppers, frequently involving the destruction of many acres of corn. cot ton and other crops, are by no means exceptional. Aughey found 23 species of shorebirds feeding on Rocky Moun- tain locusts in Nebraska, some of them consuming large numbers. Even under ordinary conditions grasshop- pers are a staple food of many mem bers of the shorebird family.
 Shorebirds are fond of other insect pests of forage and grain crops. in- cluding the army worm, which is known to be eaten by the killdeer and spotted sandpiper; also cutworms, among whose enemies are the avocet, woodcock, pectoral and Baird sand pipers, upland blower and killdeer. Two caterpillar enemies of cotton, the cotton worm and the cotton cutworm, are eaten by the upland blower and killdeer The latter bird feeds also on caterpillars of the genus Phlege- thontius, which includes the tobacco and tomato worms.
 The principal farm crops have many destructive beetle enemies also, and some of these are eagerly eaten by shorebirds The boil weevil and clover leaf weevil are eaten by the upland plover and killdeer, the rice weevil by the killdeer, the cowpea weevn by the upland blower, and the clover root curculio by several species of shorebirds.
 Bill bugs, which often do considera- ble damage to corn, seem to be favor ite food of some of the shorebirds. They are eaten by the Wilson phala- rope, avocet, black-necked stilt, pee toral sandpiper, killdeer and upland plover They are an important ele- ment of the latter birds diet, and no fewer than eight species of them have been found in its food.
 Wireworms and their adult forms, click beetles, are devoured by the northern phalarope, woodcock, jack snipe. pectoral sandipper. killdeer and uuIand blower. The last three feed also on the southern corn leaf-beetle, and the last two upon the grapevine colapsis. Other shorebirds that eat leaf-beetles are the Wilson phalarope and dowitcher.
 Crayflshes, which are a pest in rice and corn fields in the south and which injure levees, are favorite food of the black-necked stilt, and several other shorebirds feed upon them. notably the jacksnipe, robin snipe, spotted sandpiper, upland blower and hlldeer.
 Thus it is evident that shorebirds render important aid by devouring the enemies of farm crops and in other ways. and their services are appreci- ated by those who have observed the birds in the field. Thus, w. A. Clark of Corpus Christi, Tex, reports that upland plovers are industrious In fol- lowing the blow and in eating the grubs that destroy garden stun, corn. and cotton crops. H. W. Tinkham Of Fall River, Mass, says of the spotted sandpiper: Three pairs nestled in young orchard behind my house and adjacent to my garden. did not see them once go to the shore for food (shore about 1,5OO feet away), but did see them many times make faith fu1 search of my garden for cutworms, spotted squash bugs, and green nhes- Cutworms and cabbage worms were their especial prey. After the young could fly, they still kept at work in my garden. and showed no inclination to 20 to the shore until about August 1b. They and a flock of quails just over the wall helped me wonderfully.
 To summarize: Shorebirds have been hunted until only a remnant of their once vast numbers Is left Their limited powers of reproduction, coupled with the natural vicissitudes of the breeding period, make their increase slow, and peculiarly expose them to danger of extermination.
 In the way of protection a begin ming has been made, and continuous close season until 1915 has been es- tablished for the following birds: The killdeer, in Massachusetts and Louisiana; the upland plover, in Mas sachusetts and Vermont; and the pi- ping blower, in Massachusetts. But, considering the needs and value of these birds, this modicum of protec- ton is small indeed