Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-07-29
PLAN AUGUST FIGHT
Contestants in Anti-FIy War
to Continue CAMPAIGN.
RECRUITS ALSO EXPECTED
Newcomers Have Equal Chance for
a Cash Prize.
CHILDREN HAVE ABLE ALLY
Birds Known as Flycatchers Active
in Destroying Pests. Says
Agricultural Department.
children HAVE ABLE ALLY

With only two more days left for TIL.
fly fighters 10 add to their July scores
many children are now perfecting their
plans for the August crusade and will en-
ter The Stars anti-fy campaign on the
ants active this month have told DR.. Ar
thur W. Murray of the District health of
flee. supervisor of The Star campaign
that they will continue the good work in
August and, besides the experienced
fighters, many new entries are expected
During this month some of the best
fly killers in the city have been develop
ed Lillian Portion and Walter Thought
both of whom made their debuts, are al
present in fifth and sixth places in the
July campaign and each has score OF
close TO 6eo.OOo. The fly killing is hard
work at first. but energetic boys and girls
find that after a few days they learn the
best methods of extermina ting the pests
and that they can catch thousands OIL
flies where when they first started In
their scores ran only into the hundreds
The Star offers the same cash prizes
for August as Will be given at the END
of July Eight general prizes will be
given as follows: First. SO: second
$3.50: third, $50; fourth, 50. and five
81 prizes will be awarded for the best
scores in the eight districts of the city.
Altogether the prizes will total $50
All Have Chance for Prize.
The prizes at the end of August will be
given to the children who ill the great
est number Of flies during that month.
The scores of the months past will not in
any way affect the distribution of the
prizes For this reason ii is seen That
new entrants will not be working under
any disadvantage, except lack of expert
ence, which a few days practice over
comes. All of the entrants August ! will
start with the same chances to win the
first prize.
Though not working for prizes in any
anti-fiy campaign. birds known as Fly
catchers' are necessarily conducolng
war on flies and other insects; ACCORDING
to bulletin just issued Dy the depart
ment of Agriculture.
The hycatchers are at work all over
the country during summer, ana IL Is
not known how many millions OF the
insects are destroyed during the season
BY the birds The birds consider flies
a great delicacy and when their ap-
petites are appeased with insects the
birds eat little vegetable matter. Inc
fycatcher'S choice of food is hard on
the fly population, hut meets with the
approval of the housewives in cities all
over the United States, who for years
have tried to exterminate the flies from
their homes.
Officials of the bureau of biological
survey of the Department of Agricul-
ture have been studying the traits OF
the family of fycatchers, especially in
regard to the food that the birds de-
YOUR The contents of 3,39S BIRDS
stomachs was examined. and 1t was
shown that 9499 per cent of the food
of the birds was animal. mostly flies
and other dangerous insects. The bull
letin also calls attention to the fact
that the hycatchers, as rule, attack
large predaceous birds, and are thus a
protection to chickens, against such
winged enemies as hawks and crows.