The Washington herald., 1914-05-24
COPS O. THE AIR
ARE THE BRIDES |!| !!
Render Aid to Public Health
BY Devouriing Millions of
Deadly Larvae.
HAWK LIKES MOSQUITOES
Biological Survey Chief Tells of
Study of Police Force
of Air.
HAWK LIKES MOSQUITOES

New light is shed on the activities OF
birds as conservers of the public health
in a communication to the National Geo
graphic Society from Henry w. Hen
shaw, chief Of the Biological survey Inc
Survey for a considerable period has been
studying 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 relation 70
the public health" writes Mr.. Henshaw
To prove that they do. however, II rs
only Necessary to state that 500 mosqui-
toes have been found in the stomach Of
a single night hawk; that in a kflldeer's
stomach hundreds of the larvae of the
saIt-narsh mosquito have been found
and that many shore birds greedy de-
YOUR mosquito larvae As mosquitoes are
known to carry the germs OF such serious
diseases as typhoid. malaria, and dengue
fever. IL is evident that by destroying
such germs the birds are conferring a
distinct benefit on man. II may be added
that NOT tnfreouently ticks are eaten by
birds, and that the tick which is respon-
sible for the spread Of Texas fever among
cattle has been frequently found IN the
stomach OF a bobwhite.
"Police Force of Air."
In considering the many kinds of
birds in the United States from the prac-
teal side, they may not inaptly be-called
a police force in 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 ac-
compfish this task successfully the Dsem-
bers of the force must be variousiy
equipped As the bulk of insects spend
more or less time on the ground, we find
frdg
service than for any other. Our largest
bird family, the sparrows, is chiefly ter
restrial. 1t is ably aided in its search for
insects by the thrushes. wrens. certain
of the warblers and many other birds.
so many insects 5urrow 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 cunningly
adapted to this end. The bark of trees
also forms a favorite shelter for numer-
Gus insects, and behold the wrens, nut
matches warblers, creepers, with sharp
est of eyes and slenderest of bills The
air is full of flying insects, and to take
care of these are the swallows, swifts
and night-hawks. whose wings and bod
les are so shaped as to endow them with
the speed and agility necessary to follow
all the turns and windings of their MINI
BILE insect prey. The whipporwills attend
to the night-hying 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.
should Protect Birds. |
Notwithstanding the fact that the
acreage under cultivation in the United
States is larger than ever before. and
that the crops are greater, the cost Of !
foodstuffs continually mounts upward.
Meanwhile the destruction of farm and
orchard crops by insects and by rodents
amounts 70 many millions each year. II |
any part of this loss can be prevented !