Norwich bulletin., 1914-05-26
BIRDS AS coNsERvERs
 OF PUBLIC HEALTH.
Facts Which Have Been Learned By
 Chief of Biological Survey.

Washington, D. C., May 25.-New
 light is shed on the activities of birds
 s conservers of the public health in a
 communication to the National Geo from Henry W. Henshaw, Chief of the Biological Survey. The Survey for a considerable period has been study
 ing the foods of birds by examining the stomachs of specimens killed for scientific purposes.
 The value of birds to the farmer is plain enough. but we do not usually think of birds as having any direct re- latfon to the public health,s writes MT. Henshaw. To prove that they do, however, 1t is only necessary to state that 500 mosquitoes have been found in the stomach of single night hawk: that in a killdeer's stomach hundreds of the larvae of the salt marsh mosquito have been found, and that many shore birds greedily devour mosquito larvae,s As mosquitoes are known to carry the germs of such ser ious diseases as typhoid, malaria, and dengue fever it is evident that by de- stroying such germs the birds are con- ferring a distinct benefit on man. It may be added that not infrequently 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 stom- ach of bobEhite.
 Tn considering the many kinds of birds in the United States from the practical side. they may not inaptly be called a police force of the air, the chief duty of which is to restrain within bounds the hordes of insects that if unchecked would devour every green thing. To accomplish this task successfully, the members of the force must be vaIiously equipped. As the bulk of insects spend more or less time on the ground, we find more birds are fitted for terrestrial service than fer any other. Our largest. bird fam fly, the sparrows, is chiefly terrestrial. It is ably aided in it's search for ln- sects by the thrushes, wrens. certain of the warblers and many other birds. So many insects burroW into trees that highly specialized class of birds -the woodpeckers-have been devel- oped to, dig them out: The bills. tongues, feet and even tails have been cunninglyi adapted to this end. The bark, of trees also forms a favorite shelter for numerous insects, and be- hold the wreis, nuthatches, warblers, creepers, with shapest of eyes and flying insects, and to take care of these. there are the swallows. swifts and nigh hawks whose wings and bodies are so shaped as to endow them with the speed and agility nec- essary to follow all the turns and wind AiiGS OI flnCiI hEIHDlc' tIlScCl prey. Ho whippoorwills attend to the night flying insects when most birds are asleep, while the hawks by day and the owls by night supplement the work of other birds and have a special function of their own, the destruction of noxious rodents.
 Notwithstanding the fact that the acreage under cultivation in the Uni- ted States is larger than ever before. and that the crops are greater the cost of foodstuffs continually mounts upward. Meantime the destruction of farm and orchard crops by insects and by rodents amounts to many millions each year. If any part of this loss can gain. Since birds perform such in valuable service, every effort should be made to protect them. This can be done by furnishing nesting boxes for certain species to nest in, as swallows, martins. wrens, woodpeckers, great crested f1y-catchers and others: by planting berry bearing shrubs about the farm and orchard as food for the birds in winter. and by the establish plent of bird sanetuaries where birds may be reasonably safe from their na- tural enemies and be permitted 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 if so the experiment. is apt to end in the death of the confiding birds. Birds and cats do not thrive in the same neighborhood."