Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-11-16

] Bottom row. shows from left to ri
after - hours. SO hours, az hourH, .:
Says phoebe. Trails hycatchcr. long
crested jay. Woodhouse's Jay, bobo-
| link, cowbird, yellow headed black
| bird, thick -bellied rcdwipg, Western
mcadowlark. Bullocli's oriolc. Brew
,er's biackbird, house inch. pine sis
| Kin. Western vespcr sparrow, soram-
all sparrow, Western lark sparrow.
white-crowned sparrow, Brewers
sparrow. chipping sparrow. desert song
sparrow, Lincoln's sparrow, spurrch
towhee, Rreen-tniled towhec, black
headed grosbeak, lazuli bunting, cliff
| swallow. bank swallow. Tough wing
ed swallow. yellow warbler, long
tailed chat. Macgillivrays warbler.
| sage thrasher. long-tniled chickadee,
Western robin. mountain blucbird.
! English sparrow. or these only one
variety will be further discussed hero
the English sparrow.
From its enormous abundance
| throughout much of the wsovil-in-
tested region OF Utah, as we'll as from
the fact that individually, 1t is
most effective enemy of the alfalfa
! wcevil. the English or house sparrow
must be placed very high in the scale
| Of weevil enemies There is no bird
| I'm which the people of the West are
| more interested than this much-criti-
cized foreigner, and, as it's efficiency
| been questioned, special pains have
been taken to give this bird as thor
ough consideration as possible In con-
nection with the alfalfa weevil.
Though by no means uncommon in
the city streets, the never-ceasing
chatter Of hundreds OF these birds
heard along country roads and about
| farm yards readily makes an observer
| realize that in many rural sections
! this species is by far the most album
dant factor partly responsible for
this condition Is the presence on al
| most every farm OF one or more
straw-thatched sheds for housing live
stock. and these make very excellent
| bird-houses.
! During the work OF investigating
these birds-for the month of May
! of $50 stomachs of sparrows exam
ined, there was one which contained
| over 100 larvae: seven which contain
ed ninety-ninc: twenty mine with from
| fifty to seycnty-fve, and ninety with
| from twenty-nine to fortynine. Dur
ing one June 3S2 birds were examined.
| Five had eaten more than 100 larvae:
six had eaten ninety-nine; seventeen
from nifty to seventy-five. and forty
| nine had eaten from twenty-five to
: forty-nine, and on during many
| months.
Careful observations show that adult
| sparrows are frequent visitors to al
falfa fields. Their visits are most often
when there are young to be fed, and
at such time the parent birds consume
much the same kind of food rs their
progeny. Fields nearest barnyards.
where the birds nests are, arc bene-
! fitted most, but numerous cases were
observed where the adult birds were
| travelling considerably over 100 yards
! to secure the desired food. Wherever
these birds nested In large numbers
f, Il more or less regular stream of adult
sparrows was observed flying to and
| from the badly infested portion Of some
| nearby alfalfa field.
| Considering the various phases of
the economic relation of the English
| sparrow to the alfalfa wecvil, ii may
safely be asserted that this bird is
| most effective enemy of the pest. In
view, however. OF the ability of this
| bird to do serious damage to standing
grain. and to take heavy toll from the
Mariners chicken feed. legal protection
| for the species cannot be advocated.
| While there are doubtless altogether
| too many OF these birds about some
| farms, reduction In their numbers
may be much more satisfactory eff
fccted by the Individual farmer than
| BY the aid Of bounty law, such as
I has been in force In some sections for
the past few years. Such a law. be-
sides being an incentive to misrepre-
| sentatton and fraud. and expensive in
Its operation, very frequently. utterly
f, falls In accomplishing Its object. Re-
moval OF the bounty law on the Eng.
lish sparrow Is recommended, not so
much because the bird requires added
| protection. as for the reason that this
| law. az is the case with most laws OF
this kind. utterly fails to materially
reduce the number of these birds, and
at the same time 1t has been the rea-
/ son for tho destruction OF many other
| birds. Where chicken feed can be pro-
tected. ana where grain fields will not
be jeopardNed, these birds may we'll
| be allowed to continue unmolested their
good work on the alfalfa weevil.
| Take Care of Your Hog Products.
S. v. Akin, Il Middle West farmer,
| who has given much Thought