Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1913-03-06
To Save The Migratory Birds.


migratory birds under its wing2 II
bird winters in Cuba and visits half-a-
dozen States on its way there and back.
shall we trust to these States, or any of
them, to take care OF the passing visitor
They attempt to do so, but so far with
such unsatisfactory results that our migra-
tory birds, especially those of sea and
shore, are rapidly becoming extinct, and
with the further result that destructive
insects are allowed TO multiply and crops
thereby TO suffer. BY preserving the
birds, which their friends now think may
best be done by Federal statute, as they
are surely interstate travellers, we may
leave the interelation OF animal and veg
etable life to take care of the rest OF the
problem Says Mr.. George GLADDEN.,
discussing this problem in Country Life
in America Garden City, N. Y, Febru-
ary):
Experienced ornithologists and ento-
mologists are agreed that, as bird life de-
creaseS, insect life increases also, that
birds are more efficient in keeping down
insect pests than are all other agencies,
natural and artificial, combined. These
facts take on startling significance in the
light of statistics which present the actual
financial damage done annually by de-
stru.tive insects, together with the asSur-
ance that insectivorous birds are steadily
decreasing in numbers.
"By no less an authority than the Uni
ted States Department of Agriculture, we
are told that the actual damage done to
crops by insects in single year Q9O4)
represented the enormous sum OF $780,
600 900, of which nearly one-half $780,
10000 was damage done 10 cereals alone.
Other startling statistics from the same
source put the annual cost of the codling-
moth and the curcuio apple ests at about
$S,250,000 for spraying operations alone,
1872. .000, 900 as representingthe shrink
age in the value OF the apple crop; while
the damage done in some years by the
chinch-bug wheat pest, and the cotton
boil weevil, is reckoned at $4,000, 900.
The various tree-insects cost 500 ,0OO,-
600 year.
"The ominouS fact that inSectivorous
birds are decreasing in number appears
to be due solely to the inadequate pro-
lection which they receive in many States,
while not few actually legalize the kill
ing OF several species which are exceed
ingly valuable as destroyers OF insect
pests and devourerS of weed seeds. To
mention only a few conspicuous instances,
Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland and
Tennessee legaliZe the killing OF robins
as game Blackoirds have the same
status and suffer the same fate in Lonsi-
ana, South Carolina, Tennessee. Penn
sylvania, and the District Of Columbia
and doves are slaughtered by the whole
sale in twenty six States. Our northern
bobolink is killed by countless thousands
(as the reed -birdO in many Southern
States; in fact, the sla lghter Of this use
full and beautiful little bird, ore OF the
most delightful OF our soneSters IN the
Northern States, pursued industriouSIy
every fall within the very limits of the
national Capital, when the birds flock in
the marshlands along the eastern branch
OF the Potomac River.
"Of the sixty-odd species of shore
birds. al least thirty are of great value to
farmers as deStroyers OF crop-damaging
insects. All OF these birds are being rap
idly exterminated. so adverse
10 shore birds are present conditions that
the wonder is that any escape. Both in
fall and in spring they are shot along the
whole route Of their migration, north and
south. Their habit OF decoying readily
and persistently, coming back in flockS
TO the decoys again and again, in spite of
murderous volleys. greatly lessons their
chances of escape
"To this il may be added that The same
fate is rapidly ovenaking all waterfowl,
and especially the wild ducks. In all
States where spring shooting is permit
ted, these birds are hunted necessarily
from the time OF their arrival from their
northern breeding grounds in the fall un-
til their return thither in the early spring.
These States, along or near the Atlantic
coast, include Rhode Island, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West
Virginia, and North Carolina"
The idea OF Federal protection for mi
gratory birds finds justification, its friends
urge, in the inadequacy of much State
legislation and its frequent lack OF en-
forcement. Three measures TO this end
were reported during the last session Of
Congress, and one Of them, the Mclean
Bill, has just passed the Senate. A de-
termined tight is to be made by its friends
to put il through the House before ad-
iournment. Says Mr.. GLADDEN.:
at will furnish a speedy remedy for
conditions which are not only essentially
brutal, but which involve serious and Ut
tehy needless economic loss 10 the coun-
try annually"