The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1912-08-28
Don't Kill
the Birds

decades ago was lesson in verse be-
ginning Don't kill the birds, the
pretty birds, that sing around your
door" There were many sentimental
reasons given why birds should not
be killed, all good. but present day
utilitarians are not satisfied with a
sentimental reason alone for tho
omission or commission of different
acts, but ask for practical reasons
also.
The government has thought the
to merit investigation. and this inves-
tigation has shown that many birds
ruthlessly destroyed, because supposed
to be enemies, are really the friends
of man and should be protected.
The bulletin which treats of this
subject, gives sull report of the
kinds of food most sought by the va
rious varieties of well-known birds,
and from these reports the reader can
draw his own conclusions. The writer
Is sorry that a copy of the bulletin III
question is not at hand to quote from,
but anyone who desires may SECURE
one free of cost by addressing Chief
of Bureau of Publications. Washing
ton, d. G.
Not long since it was reported that
so far as known, there is only a single
survivor of the passenger pigeon,
which was once SO numerous that the
immense fiocks obscured the sun, and
me mi II
when the prairie chicken was so plen-
tiful in the prairie states as to invite
hunters from the cities, who killed the
birds by the wagon load and with this
merciless slaughter and the encroach-
ment on their nesting places by man,
they vanished and their CHEEKY morn
Ing call to each other, one of the
most pleasant sounds that greeted
the ears Of the pioneer, was heard no
more.
The sad fate of the pigeon and the
prairie chicken and other wild birds,
and the realization of what man owes
to these humble friends, has caused
the enactment of laws In some states
making it misdemeanor to Kill
quail, and such laws are good. but
they should be extended to include
many other kinds also, for though
quails are one of the most ravenous
consumers of insects, others like the
mourning dove do good service by
feeding on weed seeds, eating from
1000 to 5000 seeds daily when on
comparatively scanty fare
This has been found by actual ex-
animation of birds killed for the pur-
pose of asceNaining what they had
been feeding on, just as it has been
demonstrated that 100 or more
chlnch bugs is only single meal for
Bob White. A bird is so ravenous
that 1t will eat several times II weight
! IN a single day, q wise provision of
nature to make them an ally of man
in the, work assigned to him by the
Lord when driven out of Eden, viz,
to subdue the earth and make il
fruitful
Farmers, gardeners and orchard
lists all complain of the insect pests
they must fight, yet some do not raise
hand to stop the killing of birds
and the robbing of birds nests,
though the birds would be the great
est help in holding the insects In
check and prevent their depredations,
which have been estimated to cause
annual losses greater than the cost
of maintaining ali the schools and
colleges of the entire country.
No matter how much we see the
need ofNeertain laws we cannot al
ways secure their enactment, but We
can show our principles by being d
low unto ourselves in all that Is right
Thus 1t is with killings birds. If
every individual would use his innu-
ence in protecting birds, teaching the
younger generation both by precept
and example to love and cherish their
feathered friends the law on the
statute books would only be an ex.
preston of the unwritten law In the
hearts of the people, and there would
then be no need OF game wardens to
secure half-hearted enforcement of
protective MISUNDERSTANDING Ray.