Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-05-26

and that many shore birds greedily
devour mosquito larvae. AS mos
quitoes are known to carry the germs
of such serious diseases as typhoid,
malaria, and dengus fever it is evil
dent that by destroying such germs
the birds are comforting 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 frequent
ly found in the stomach of bob
white.
Tin 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 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. 1t
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 cunning
~ adapted to this end. The. bark of
trees also forms a favorite shelter for
numerous insects, and behold the
wrens, nuthatches. warhlers, creepers,
with sharpest of eyes and slenderest
of bills. The air is full of flying in
sects, and to take care of these there
are the swallows, 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 windings of their
nimble insect prey The whippoor-
wills attend to the night flying in
sects 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
United States is larger than ever be-
fore. and that the crops are greater,
the cost of foodstuffs continually
mounts upward. Meanwhile the des-
truction of farm and orchard crops by
insects and by rodents amounts to
many millions each year. If any part
of this loss can be prevented it will be
so much clear gain Since birds per-
form 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 erry-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
permitted to live and breed in abso-
lutte security as far as man is con-
cerned
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"