Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-10
POVERTY GIVEN AS CAUSE
REPORT ON CONDITIONS THERE
Absence Of Birds Regarded as De-
plorably Detrimental to Agri.
culture In the Island.

Birds, poverty and agricultural depres-
sion form the features Of a report on wild
life In Porto Rico. just made to the De-
paEtment Of Agriculture by Alexander
Wetmore Of the biological survey. who
was sent specially to report on the bird
lie OF the island. Porto Rico has adj
vanced wonderfully since the American
occupation, IL Is declared, her foreign
trade having increased about 400 per cent.
most OF II with the United States and
the total trade balance is I'm her favor
The Plantations are doing better than
they have ever before. and the local gov
eminent has decided to establish a de-
partment of agriculture.
The insular government hardly knew
where to begin this line OF work, but
one thing was obvious. il was stated, and
this was that there was very little bird
life I'm the island, and il was at the same
time realized that birds were a necessary
adjunct Of successful agriculture. The
Department of Agriculture here was ask
cd to examine the situation, find out
what birds were the scarcest and TO make
recommendations for the Importation OF
desirable varieties. Mr.. Wetmore, who
formerly was a resident of washington.
was selected for the examination.
Blame Placed on Mongoose.
1t was thought at first that the mon.
goose was principally responsible for the
absence of bird life. This bloodthirsty
little beast was introduced I'm the island
years ago, about the same time he was
let loose on Jamaica. He has cleaned
out almost every ground-nesting bird I'm
the island and many Of the birds that
formerly built low in bushes This IL
IoRaTQe0 81
mongoose infestation and is one reason
why he is so vigorously excluded from
the United States.
But MT Wetmore found there was an
other potent factor in the bird life prob
lem. For years the natives have been
the victims of the most grinding now
erty, and they have formed the habit of
eating any sort of birds they can get.
or song birds. Wherever there is a nest
within reaching distance OF a road or
trail 1t is robbed. IL there are Young
birds there. well and good. They eat
them and. II possible, kin the parent
birds. II there is nothing but eggs they
will eat them for fear some one else
should find them before they hatch.
Make No Distinction.
No bird is safe. from q humming bird
to an ostrich. OF course, with an island
and Porto Rico is an island, though a
good sized one-this sort of persistent
destruction will exterminate almost any,
thing.
If the natives turned their attention to
Killing the mongOose as earnestly as they
have to killing birds they might even
rid the island OK this little beast But il
requires a good deal more work to Kill
the mongoose than to kill the birds and
the birds have to suffer from both
sources.
The result on agriculture of lack Of bird
life. Mr.. Wetmore says, is deplorable.
He says also that the bird killing habit
is too strongly implanted in the natives
either for education or legislation to do
much good. The chief hope lies In edu-
eating the rising generation through the
public schools. He says II the native
birds are undisturbed many Of the breeds
that are not entirely exterminated can be
trusted to reproduce, but SO long as the
natives persistently kill all varieties of
birds. there is little use in importing
them.
Similar Conditions Here.
The biological survey has found the
same conditions in parts of this country
where bird life has been entirely de-
stroyed by the newly arrived immigrant
laberers. with the resulting injury to ag-
riculture. This nest robbing. bird killing
habit seems to be worst among the Ital-
ian laborers. 1t has been found in several
places in this country where large gangs
construction work that they have abso-
lutely wiped out all bird life.
The local authorities are frequently shy
of enforcing the Jaw, as one or two sher-
IFS have already been killed when trying
to make arrests In the laborers' camps.