Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-05-22
BIRDS PRESERVE
PUBuC'S HEALTH
"POllCE OF THE AIR" PROTECT
HUMAN LIFE AND PREVENT
STARVATION.
FEAST ON MYRlADS OF
plsEAsE.cARRYlNG INSECTS
Destruction Of Farm and Orchard
Crops by Insects and Rodents
Amounts to Millions Of Dollars An.
nuaIIy-5irds and Cats Do Not
Thrive in Same Nsiohborhood.
Especial. Correspondence

Washington, May 22.-New light Is
shed on the activities Of birds as con-
servers of the public health in COM
munication to the National Geographi"
Society, at Washington. D. c., from
Henry W. Henshaw, chief OF tho
biological survey. The survey for
considerable period has been studying
the foods Of birds by examining the
stomachs of specimens killed for SCI
entific purposes
1.-THE value OF birds to the farmer IS
plain enough but we do not usually
think of birds as having any direct re-
lation to the public health" writes MI.
Henshaw. ITO prove that they do,
however, it is only necessary to state
that 500 mosquitoes have been founu
in the stomach Of single night hawk;
that in q killdeer's stomach hundreds
of the larvae Of the salt-marsh mos
quito have been found. and that manJ
shore birds greedily devour mosquito
larvae. AS mosquitoes are known to
carry the germs Of such serious dis
eases as typhoid malaria. and dengue
fever it is evident that by destroying
such germs the birds are conferring
a distinct benefit on man. 1t may pc
added that not infrequently ticks are
eaten by birds and that the tick when
is responsible for the spread of Texas
fever among cattle has been frequently
found in the stomach of a bobW-hite.
Police Of tho Air.
an considering the many kinds OF
birds in the United states from the
practical side, they may not tnaptly
be called police force OF the air, the
chief duty of which Is to restrain Win
in bounds the hordes of insects that II
unchecked would devour every green
thing. To accomplish this task sue
cessfully, the members Of the force
must be variously equipped AS the
bulk Of insects spend more or less time
on the ground. we find more birds are
fitted for terrestrial service than for
any other. Our largest bird family, the
sparrows, is chiefly terrestrial It IS
ably aided in Its search for insects by
the thrushes. wrens. certain OF the
warblers and many other birds. SO
many insects burrow into trees that a
highly specialized class Of birds-the
woodpeckers-have, been developed to
dig them out. The bills, tongues, feet
and even tails have been cunningly
adapted to this end. The bark OF trees
also forms a favorite shelter for nu-
merous insects. and behold the wrens,
nutha tches, warblers, creepers, with
sharpest Of eyes and slenderest of bills.
The air is full Of flying insects, and to
take care Of these there are the swal-
lows, swifts and night hawks, whose
wings and bodies are so shaped as TO
endoW them with the speed and agility
necessary to follow all the turns and
winnings of their nimble insect prey
The whippoorwills attend to the night
fixing insects when most birds arc
asleep, while the hawks by day and the
owls by night supplement the work OF
other birds and have a special func-
ton Of their own, the destruction OF
noxious rodents.
Millions in Crop Losses.
notwithstanding the fact that the
acreage under cultivation in the United
States is larger than ever before, and
that the crops are greater, the cost OF
foodstufrs continually mounts upward
Meanwhile the destruction of farm
and orchard crops by insects
and by rodents amounts to
many millions each year. II any part
of this loss can be prevented 1T will
be so much clear gain. Since birds
perform such invaluable service. every
effort should be made to protect them.
This can be done by furnishing nest
ing boxes for certain species to nest
in. as swallows, martins. wrens. wood
peckers, great crested fly-catchers and
others: by planting berry bearing
shrubs about the farm and orchard as
food for the birds in winter, and by
the establishment of bird sanctuaries
where birds may be reasonably safe
from their natural enemies and be per-
mitted to live and breed in absolute
security as far as man is concerned.
Last but not least important may
be mentioned the element of safety
from cats. Friendly overtures to birds
from householders who regard tabby
as a necessary member OF the family
are not likely to be successful. or II
90 the experiment Is apt to end In the
death Of the confiding birds. Birds and
cats do not thrive in the same neigh
borhood.''