The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1914-07-24
Our Bird Life.

ASSOCIATION two addresses were given
upon the protection of the birds of
this country which ought to be read
and re-read in every home in the ma
tion. Space prohibits our publishing
the same and only a few brief ex-
tracts can be given.
j. H. McGillivray, deputy state for
estry warden, said: "Insectiverous
and seed-eating birds destroy about
10000 tons of weed seed in our state
every season. Michigan weeds, at two
months growth above soil, would
average approximately 1000 times in
weight that of the tiny seeds from
which they grow. Get out your shov-
els and hoes and wedding gloves and
help the farmer pull 100000 tons
of weeds, but what s the use when the
birds will do it for us by happy ban
quoting and sing for us while they
dine ~
"Ask those who have not studied
bird life about the sparrows of Michi-
gam" said the deputy, "and they will
tell you we have the song sparrow as
well as the English sparrow. We do
have the song sporrow. and many
kinds Of it. There is the vesper spar
row, the Ipswich sparrow, the Savan-
nah sparrow, the Baird sparrow, the
grass-hopper sparrow, the LecOnte
sparrow, the lark sparrow, the white
throated sparrow, the tree sparrow,
the chipping sparrow, the clay spar
row, the field sparrow, the pine spar
row, the Lincoln sparrow, the swamp
sparrow and the Fox sparrow. Any
one of these song sparrows might be
killed in good faith by the small boy.
The bounty gives him the moral right
to kill one bird; he is liable to kill any
bird. The damage done by the Eng
lish sparrows has been overestimated;
it does as much good as harm. The
indirect damage to bird life by reason
of the bounty is tremendous.
Col. G. O. Shields, of New York,
said cit is the opinions of many per-
sons who have made lifelong study
1-of birds that go per cent Of an the
birds in the country have been killed
in the last 10 years. Many, however,
claim that this is a conservative esti-
mate and that there is now not more
than one per cent of the number of
birds that were in this country 20
years ago. The farmer and fruit
growers are losing billions every year
because of their destruction.
"The most serious thing that we
have to contend with is the ignorant
foreigner who kills all birds indis-
criminately The steamship COM
panies in trying to get immigrants to
come to this country advertise to the
effect that this country is filed with
game and all that is necessary is to go
out and shoot it. Thousands of these
foreigns go hunting from, April to
November and kill everything that
they can find from a hummingbird to
a crow.
"The number of moths and para
sites to plant life are increasing every
year. Many Of these moths are COM
ing from the old country. The city
of New Haven was for many years
called the 'City of the Elms' because
of its many beautiful elm trees. Now
the name is no more because the trees
have mostly been killed by moths
The same thing is true all through
the eastern part of the country. There
have been hundreds of hickory trees
burned in New York state to stop the
spread of these moths. These moths
are beyond control of man and the
only chance to save the forests Of the
country now is to save the birds that
devour them. This will not stop with
the east where it is now but will soor
drift across the country until the en-.
tire country will be barren.
81 want to enlist you Michigan mer
in favor of one of the greatest insect
and weed seed eaters in the country
the quail. The farmers here are los
ing over $2OO,OOO,OOO a year because
of the ravages of the Hessian fly. A
quail shot in the west was found tC
have 1000 of them in its crop. i
takes several thousand to support {
: quail for one day. The government
has estimated that one quail wa
worth $4,000 year to the farmers
Of the country.
"The quail is a fine bird and ii
much loved by sportsmen. / hunte,
most of my early life but / have no
shot bird in the last 25 years. II
the last 25 years / have done all O
} my shooting with my camera. l woult
, like to see a closed season on quai
for FIVE years all through the country
"The partridge is another one O
, the most useful Of birds. 1t had beer
estimated by experts that each on
eats two and one-half bushels of in
sects every year. Many people CLAIM
, that the season is not long enougl
} and that they are not allowed to shoe
enouph of them every wear. w