The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1915-03-25
Birds Will Preserve Health

The value of the birds to the
farmer is plain enough, but we do
mot usually think of birds as hav-
ing any direct relation to the pub
lie health. To prove that they do,
however, it is only necessary to
state that 500 mosquitoes have
been found in the stomach of a
single nighthawk; that in a kill
dee s. stomach hundreds of the lar
vac of the salt-marsh mosquitoes
have been found, and many shore
birds greedily devour mosquito
larvae. As mosquitoes are known
to carry the germs of such serious
diseases as typhoid, malaria and
dengue fever, it is evident that by
destroying such germs the birds
are comforting a distinct benefit on
man. 1t may be added that not
infrequently ticks are eaten by
birds, and that the tick which is
responsible for the spread of Tex
as fever among cattle has been
frequently found in the stomach
of the bobwhite.
In considering the many kinds
of birds in the United States FRI
the practical side, they may not
inaptly be called police force of
the air, the chief duty Of which is
to restrain within bounds the
hordes Of insects that if uncheck-
ed 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 ter
restrial service than for ably aid
ed in its search for insects by
sparrow, as chiefly terrestrial. 1t
is ably aided in its search for in
sects by the thrushes, wrens, GER
tain of the warblers, and many
other birds SO many insects bur-
row into trees that a highly spe-
cialized class of birds, the wood
peckers, have been developed to
dig them out. The bills, tongues,
feet and even tails have been cum
ningly adapted to this end. The
bark Of trees also forms a favorite
shelter for numerous insects, and
behold the wrens, nuthatches,
warblers, creepers, with sharpest
of eyes and slenderesr of bills.
The air is full of flying insects,
and to take care of these are the
swallows, swifts and lfighthawks,
whose wings and bodies are so
shaped as to endow them with the
speed and agility necessary to
follow all the turns and wind
ings Of their nimble insect prey.
The whippoorwills attend to the
night-fying insects when most
birds are asleep, while the hawks
by day and the owls by night sup
plement the work of other birds
and have a special function of
their own-the destruction of nox-
ious rodents.
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 con-
tinually mounts upward. Mean
while the destruction 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
perform such invaluable service,
every effort should be made to
protect them. This can be done
by furnishing nesting boxes for
certain species to nest in, as swal-
lows, martins, wrens, woodpeck-
ers, great-crested fy-catchers and
others; by planting berry-bearing
shrubs about the farm and orch
ard as food for the birds in
winter, and by the establishment
of bird sanctuaries where birds
will be reasonably safe from their
natural enemies and be permit
ted to live and breed in absolute
security as far as man is concern
ed.
Last but not least important
may be mentioned the element of
safety from cats. Friendly over
lures to birds from househOlders
who regard tabby as a necessary
member of the family are not like
ly to be successful, or if so the ex-
pertinent is apt to end in the death
of the confding birds. Birds
and cats dc not live in the same