Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-18
INE CASE on THE Grow Is In
IKE HANDS OF THE JUKY

seeds are readily recognized by these ex-
perts even after the outer layers have
been diGeSted OF. Wonderful deductions
that would mean nothing to any other
dozen men in the United States
There Is one family OF owls that these
scientists had under observation for
years. They Of the barn owl variety
II has been proven over and over again
that their diet is almost entirely az mice
and rats. They and their broods devour
innurnerable mice. A harm owl may he
matched against family Of threescora
house cats and will win out as a rat and
mouse destroyer. In MS low fitting In
the dusk IL il ever after the destroyer
OF the crops OF man IL is laboring in his
interest and deserves his protection. In
stead Of which death has been dealt by
man to this. one OF his best friends, and
servitors.
There is case just filed before the
bird court. The starting another emil
grant from England. is causing trouble.
The starting was voluntarily brought 10
this country in 1870 and released in Cen
trail Park. New York. The English are
fond OF the starring. and il was thought
that il would BE- a great addition to the
big park in the middle OF the
metropolis. II has been multiplying as did
the sparrow. Ii has now spread as far
As to Maine in one direction and Virginia
in the other. IL is a great grain and
fruit eater and the growers OF these two
crops complaining bitterly against
the increasing numbers of starings and
the damage they are doing. The bird
VIII probably be called 10 the bar In the
near future.
The noisy blue Jay is another bird that
WAS tried and acquitted and which is
Naliantly making good despite it's record
OF suspicion and arrest. The blue jay was
charged with robbing the nests of other
birds, with devastating many a cherry tree
and with injuring the corn crop OF the
country. He appealed his case to the
court OF scientists. These men examined
hundreds OF the stomachs of others OF
his kind to determine what were his die
tary habits These postmortems showed
that the charges against him were true
in isolated cases, but that his regular
diet was not to the detriment of the com
munity. Insects that work against the
interest of man We're found to be his chief
food.
Then followed the great opportunity or
the blue jay to make good and ingratiate
himself with man. The gypsy and the
brown-tail moth had gotten a foothold in
New England and We're devouring the
foliage of all trees in those parts. An
enemy was being sought the world
ar ,und to fight back these pests. Seem
ing to realize the emergency, the blue Jay
fell to and has been eating these moths
to the limit OF his rather vigorous APP
petite ever since.
The patient and cooling dove. that
duplication Of peace, has even been
cused of misdemeanor and hailed into
court The dove is accused of devour1nE
large and valuable quantities of grain or
the farmer and the farmer was deploring
the loss and urging death to the peaceful
dove. The bird court investigated. large
~ through an analysis of stomachs. II
found that the dove ate considerable
quantities of grain. hut, searching further,
81, shor. rnf
from the ground where ii would have
been waste at best. The dove never pulls
down a stalk of grain and appropriates It,
Having almost proved that no injury was
done by the grain II ate, the dove, by ex-
hibiting the stomachs of it's fellows.
proved that by far the greater part of its
diet consisted of weed seed. and that in
following this bill of fare IL reduced that
class of plants that crowded out tho
wheat A weighing of the evidence estab-
Ushed the friendship and the value of the
dove to man, and ii was acquitted.
Copyright. 1912. by ". A. Du Puy.)