The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-09-13
Cats, Birds, and Insects.
BY Or. FRANK CRANE
Copyright. 1915. By Frank Crane)

| have already written of the birds,
of our duty to protect them, and of the
immense value they are to us in de-
stroying insect pests.
AT the risk Of hurting the feelings Of
many people, it is necessary to empha-
size the coroary Of this truth, to-wit.
that the greatest enemy to bird life
the cat.
Cats appeal to us by their nominees,
their affection for US; they are favorite
household pets. But they are of the
cat family just the same; blood will tell,
and that family are natural born MUIR
derers.
They are the thugs and gunner Of
the animal world. And the chosen VIC
tim Of the cat is the bird
Birds are absolutely necessary TO pro-
tect us from being overrun with insects.
Recent advance in scientific santa
ton shows that many diseases. hereto
fore ascribed TO other causes, are due
70 insect infection Malaria. once thought
to be caused by vapors from marshes.
is now known TO be communicated to us
by a certain mosquito. yellow fever and
dengue fever are the result of insect
activity. The sleeping sickness in Afri-
ca is due 10 the tSetSe fly. The tick
fever is conveyed by ticks, and another
form of fever by sand flies. The plague.
the scourge Of mankind for centuries, is
caused by the rat flea. Leprosy has
been attributed TO bed bugs, and il is
now supposed that the disease of
measles is caused by fleas.
If to this danger TO human life we
add the enormous damage 10 fruit corn,
wheat and shade trees. the case seems
pretty well established that insects are
the arch enemies of men.
Against these foes the birds are our
best defensive army "A yellow thoat-
ed warbler will consume 10000 tree lice
in one day; scarlet tanager has been
watched closely and seen 20 devour
gypsy moths at the rate Of rhirty-flve
minute for eighteen minutes at
time" says Mr. Dobson OF the Illinois
Audubon society "By sparing the cat,
ne continues eve are numbering mil
lions Of birds every year. and giving life
TO hordeS Of insects.
Those who own and love cats win
find il difficult TO believe this. But the
facts as TO bird destruction by cats are
too well established 10 admit Of denial.
It's all a question Of which YOU pre-
fer. viii YOU foster the cat for its pur-
ring ways? Count the cost The aver
age number Of birds slain by ON cat Is
conservatively given as fifty a year.
You may never have seen your cat
kin song bird; but the feline is very
sly and knows how 20 carry on his assas-
sinations when your eye is not on him.
Says T. Gilbert Pearson, secretary Of
the National Association Of Audubon
societies:
There is no wild bird or animal in the
United States whose destructive inroads
on our bird population is in any sense
comparable 20 the widespread devasta-
ton created by the domestic cat
This creature captures wild birds at
al seasons Of the year. but it is par
ticularly active in catching young birds
Immediately after they have left the
nest and before they have yet gained
sufficient strength Of wing 10 escape. 1t
is idle for lovers Of cats to contend that
it is only the half-wild and unfed ami
mails which indulge in bird killing IL
is "a natural for a cat to want TO kill
bird as it is for child to want candy.