The Washington herald., 1911-08-09
WOMEN MAY HELP WORLD
BY PROTECTING BIRDS
Every Woman Who Takes the Stand that She
Wll Not Wear Dead Birds, or the Plumage
of Birds, Helps to Make the Race Better.

to do more good for humanity.
They wish they had influence, and
position. and riches not for their own
qualification, but that they might make
the world better. Yet, II Is safe to
assert that ninety-eight out of every
hundred of these women are trimming
their hats. with slaughtered birds, or the
feathers of slaughtered birds.
The disaster to the country, to the
world in general. through this reprehen-
sible vanity of women, vanity which has
no excuse, cannot be realized until the
subject is investigated.
Here are some facts given~by the State
entomologist, E. P. Felt. He makes a
plea for the protection of birds for several
reasons.
Three Good Reasons.
First-because It is humane and our
duty to do so.
Second-Because In their relation to in
sects they are necessary for mans actual
existence on the earth
Third-Because failure to protect them
involves enormous financial loss.
Recent extensive outbreaks OF silvan
caterpiI,ars are significant. If correctly
interpreted. The forest tent caterpillar,
during the later part of the last CEN
tury and the early portion of this. was
present in countless hordes in the wood
lands OF New York and adjacent States.
stripping the leaves from trees covering
large areas. Two other pests were
equally abundant though in more re-
stricted areas during the summer of 1907.
These extensive injuries by insects ap-
pear to be increasing in number. and
the cause therefor may be found in the
wanton destruction OF bird life. DIR.
William T. Hornaday, of the New York
Geological Society. recently estimated
that there had been a decrease of about
s rer cent in the number of our native
birds during the past fifteen years. The
great importance of birds as natures
checks Is strikingly emphasized by Eng
lish history. Mr.. f. II. Forbush. in his
recent work on Useful Birds and Their
Protection" gives several cases of the
unprecedented abundance of mice, moles
and various insects resulting from the
destruction of birds. The authenticity of
several of these records cannot be ques-
toned
Adapted to Suppressing Pests.
Birds. because of their unrivaled pow
ers of locOmotion. are peculiarly adapted
to suppresslng unusual outbreaks of in
sects and other pests. There are on
record number of instances where
birds have swarmed to feed upon hosts
of destructive insects. such as sea gulls
descending by the thousands upon the
Utah wheat fields infested by millions
OF black crickets in 1S4S.
Locust outbreaks are frequently at
tended by unusual numbers Of birds,
ranging from the tiny kinglet to the
great whooping crane, and including fish
eating birds like the great blue heron.
flesh eaters like hawks and owls, and
shore birds such as ducks. geese, and
gulls, all uniting in destroying the
swarms of pernicious insects More re-
Gently the outbreaks by the forest tent
alluded to above. have been
some feeding so ravenously upon the
as to be almost oblivious OF
the watchers presence.
Loss of millions.
The total annual loss has been esti-
mated at $SOO, ,OOO,O 900, and 1t is probably
in excess Of even this gigantic figure.
The minute Hessian fly caused the farm
ers of New York State an estimated
loss of 100000 only a few years ago,
and 1t is calculated that the codling moth
or apple worm lays an equally heavy
tribute annually upon our fruit growers.
The experience of Mr.. E. H. Forbush,
to the State board of agri-
culture of Massachusetts,, shows that
Il is possible by judicious provision TO
attract to Orchards such a number OF
native birds as to control dangerous out
breaks of insects. The adequate pro-
lection of birds throughout our country
should result. we believe, in greatly miti-
eating the enormous losses inflicted by
insect pests. Economic, II not aesthetic
should lead all truly pa
riotic citizens to do everything within
heir power to provide adequate protec-
ion for our birds.
How can any woman, who pretends to
are for animals, or who has any regard
or the preservation of our forests, or
my real desire to uplift humanity, be
n different to the millinery question?
(Copyright.)
To BE CONTINUED TOMORROW