Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1913-03-17
Protecting the Birds.

economic value of the birds is be-
ginning to be recognized, and that
determined steps are being taken to
protect them. Laws prohibiting the
killing of song birds and insect-eat-
ing birds have long been on the stat
ute books of many of the states, but
little attention has been paid to
them. The boy with the target rifle
and the man with the gun that he
wanted to use on some kind of mark
or other have been permitted to
slaughter without restraint. A
change is rapidly coming about, how
ever. Existing laws against bird
shooting are beginning to be en-
forced and new ones are being en-
acted.
Migratory birds have been placed
under protection of the federal gov
ernment by the recently enacted Nc
Lean law, and the Department of
Agriculture is now formulating rules
designed to prevent their extinction.
AS civilization takes over the waste
places and subdues the creatures of
prey the natural enemies of the birds
are eXterminated and man takes
their place. The market hunter, the
plumer who supplies the milliners,
and those who wantonly kill song
sters have been increasing. That is
the reason for the legislation passed
by the national legislature and in
dorsed by naturalists, sportsmen and
all who are, interested in bird life
1t is provided in this bill that all
wild geese, wild swans, brant, wild
ducks, snipe, plover, woodcocks, pig
cons and all migratory birds which
do not remain permanently within
the borders of any state shall here
after be deemed to be within the Gus
tody and protection of the govern
ment of the United States and shall
not be destroyed contrary to regua-
tions.''
The regulations concerning non
migratory birds are left to the legis-
latures of the various states, and
there is nothing to prevent the COM
monwealths from enacting laws to
promote and make mere efficient the
regulations laid down by the Depart
ment of Agriculture.
The advocates Of the restrictions
do not base their opposition to the
unrestricted killing of birds on senti-
mental grounds. The very men who
make living by shooting game for
market are destroying their own
means of livelihood. Hundreds of
families in the southern states are
supported by selling game.
Some varieties, however, have been
completely eXterminated in this coun-
try because no attention has been
paid to conservation until recent
years. The Mclean law protects the
wild pigeon, and it was the hope of
the trainers of the bill that some
thing might be done to prevent the
blotting out of the band-tailed pig
con of the west and of the mourning
dove of the eastern states, both of
which are to be found wild
Insectivorous birds and the seed
eating ones have an important eco
nomic value. The warblers, thrush
es wrens, woodpeckers, tanagers and
vireos are allies which the farmer
cannot overlook in his struggle
against nature.
The birds are destroyers of the
moths which later develop into de-
vourers of vegetation. They kill
plant lice and feed on the larvae of
injurious insects. They pick out the
boil weevil and prey upon the cut
worms, which consume or disfigure
the produce of the market gardener.
In the woods they are checking the
ravages of the bark-borning beetles.
Many species of birds eat the
minute seeds of weeds From the
crop of one mourning dove an inves-
tigator took and actually counted
5000 weed seeds. The effect on the
farms where there are large numbers
of such birds is marked, and in many
regions they are most welcome visit
ors.
One of the most destructive insect
pests is the tent caterpillar which
builds a tent of cohwebby texture in
the trees. into which it retires at
night after a day spent in destroy
ing vegetation. Many kinds of birds
are patrols of the air, whose mission
seems to be to end the race of the
grasshoppers.
Practical considerations such as
these are reinforced by reasons of
romance and sentiment. The song of
the birds in spring, the note of the
bobolink, the pear of praise which
the lrrA lifts on high would be only
memories except for the constant ac-
tivities of the friends of birds. The
effect upon children of instruction
with regard to the habits of birds