The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-30
BIRD CONSERVATION
John B. Huber, NJ. D.. in September

John Ii. Huber, NJ. D., in September Lip
pincott's.
For at least score of years past there
has been a brutal and insensate destruc-
tion of American birds. Adequate protec-
tion has been denied them by reason. it
would seem, that "the sportsman won't
stand for it, 1t may be the gunner
won't: but every sportsman worthy that
estimable title, rather than obiecting, will
be very strong for such regulations as
may be made by DIR. T. C. Palmer of the
biological survey of the department of
agriculture for the enforcement of the
Mclean law to this end. The notion is er-
roneous that our birds are the exclusive
property of those greedy and selfish men
who shoot up to the bag limit Ninety
to the people who haven't the remotest
idea how to handle gun.
Our shore birds are fast vanishing.
There are. or have been, more than 90
species OF them in North America They
frequent the shores OF all bodies of
waters but many are equally at home on
plains and prairies. They used to swarm
along the Atlantic coast and In our prairie
regions; today they are pitiably scarce.
The wonder is. they survive at all under
conditions so adverse to them In both
fall and winter they are shot along the
routes of their north and south migration.
They decoy readily ana persistently, de-
spite murderous, volleys. Mr.. w. l.. Nc
Atee of the biological survey ('Our Van
ishing Shore Birds" Civ 100, indicates
other ways by which their existence is
made precarious
Nor need we plead for bird protection
on sentimental or aesthetic grounds alone.
Many species eat such mosquitoes as are
virulent disseminators of disease germs.
Fifty-three per cent of the food of birds
from one locality were found to consist of
mosquito larvae; and among the insects
thus consumed was the salt marsh mos
quito for the elimination of which certain
states have expended much in money and
energy. Adult house flies and their larvae,
which seriously nlolest valuable livestock
have been found in the stomachs of sew
eral species of birds. The North Ameri
can fever tick. so injurious to cattle, are
devoured by the lSildeer and the upland
piONtI. Sldhc-liy tdfNde are most QeStTut-
tive in grass lands and wheat fields: shore
birds are avid of these flies Birds again
are very fond of grasshoppers, which are
most destructive of corn. cotton, and other
crops. Twenty-three species of shore
birds were found to have fed on Rocky
mountain locusts-great grain consumers.
Some of our severest economic losses are
occasioned by insect destroyers of forage
and grain crops; these pests are a natural
food of shore birds. The army worm, cut
worm, cotton worm, tobacco worm, and
potato worm are meat for the avocet,
woodcock, pectoral, and Baird sand pi-
pers, upland plover and. killdeer. The
principal farm crops have many beetle en-
emies; birds thrive on these beetles.
Much else to the same effect is on record
1t We're well indeed II the government OF
all our states would second the biological
survey in the enactment and enforcement
of legislation protective of bird life. The
real sportsman would heartily second
such legislation; only the game hog
who. after all, isn't so very numerous
would be dsgruntled.