The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-05-26
BIRDS, POLICE
FORCE OF AIR
Conserve Public Health by Con-
Stunning Germ Carrying Insects

light is shed on the activities of birds
as conservcrs II the public health in a
communication To the National Geo
graphic Society, at Washington. ID. c.
from Henry W. Henshaw, Chief of the
Biological Survey. The Survey for a
considerable period has been studying
the foods of birds by examining the
stomachs Of specimens killed for sciea-
the purposes.
THE value Of birds TO the farmer is
plain enough, but we do not usually
think of birds as having any direct re-
latiou To the public health writes Mi.
Heashaw. ITO prove that they do
however. il is only necessary TO state
that 500 mosquitoes have been found
in the stomach Of single niEht-haWN'
that i'm "a kiIdeers stomach hundreds
of the larvae of the salt marsh mos
quito have been found and that many
shore birds greeduy devour mosquito
larvae. AS mosquitoes arc known tu|
carry the germs of such serious dis
eases as typhoid. malaria and densce|
fever it is evident that by destroying
such germs the birds are conterrlng
a distinct benefit ON man. 1t may bel
added that not ufrequently ticks are
eaten by birds. and that the tick which
is responsible for the spread of Texas
fever among cattle has been frequently
found in the stomach of a bobwhite.
Police Force of the Air.
I'm considering the many kinds Of
the
practical side. they may not inaptly he.
called a police force of the air, the.
chief duty of which is TO restrain
within bounds the hordes of insects
that il unchecked would dcvour every
green thing. To accomplish this task
successfully, 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 Tor
any other. our largest bird family
the sparruws is chiefly terrestrial 1t
is ably aided in its search for insects
by the thrushcs, wrcns, certain of the
warblers and many other birds. So
many insects burrow into trees that
highly specialized class of birds-thc
woodpeCkers-haye been developed 10
dig them out. The bills, tongues, feet
and even tails have been cunningly
adapted 20 this end The bark of trees
also forms fayorite shelter for nu-
merous insects, and behold the wrens,
nuthatches, Narblers. Creepers with
sharpest Of eyes and sIgnderest Of bills.
The air is fun OF flying insects, and TO
take care of these there are the swal-
lows. swifts and uight-hawi,s, whose
wiugs and bodies are So shaped as 90
endOw them with the speed and agility
necessary 20 follow all the turns and
windings Of their uimbIe insect prey.
The whippoorwills attend 10 the night
flying insects when most birds are
asleep, while the hawks hy day and
the owls ly night supplement the
work OF other birds and have "a special
function Of their own. the destruction
Of uoN.ous rodents.
Perform Invaluable Service.
Notwithstanding the fact that the
acreage under cultivation IN The Unit
Cd States is larger than eyer before.
and that The crops are greater the cost
If foodsJuus continually mounts uy-
ward. Meanwhile the destruction II
farm and orchard crops by insects and
bv rodents amounts 90 many millions
each year. II any part uf this Joss can
be prevented it wiU Doe su much clear
again. Since birds perform such I'M
l.4I.gyUIa llf.,.IU. .I..r.r. effort -rtuII ID,