Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1916-01-02
BIRDS.

torial, which is herewith printed, by
request:
The widespread interest in conser-
yation of bird life is source of iii
tense qualification to those who have
So many years defended birds for
what is popularity called sentimental
reasons. These devoted people have
loved birds for themselves; because
they are beautiful and their songs at
tractive. The utility feature has had
little or nothing to do with their on
position to the reckless slaughter of
the innocents for sport or profit. They
find themselves now aligned with
powerful allies for defense. The en-
trance of the state vigorously into the
warfare is sympathetic with the atti-
tude of many other states and has
reduced the matter to the plane of
domestic economy The state propos-
es to protect birds regardless of their
songs and plumage, and for the sole
reason that they aid in the successful
conduct of the farm. There is no OBJ
lection to this view, though it is mar
row. On the contrary, it is a subject
Of congratulation because the matter
i" no longer debatable. What TheI
Telegraph has in mind is that aftek
all has been said and done the safeE
guardian of the birds are still thEe
whose reasons are sentimental 4nd
that it is to be hoped that instead of
resting from their labors they/ will
take the new weapon at hanf and
stand on guard as before.
The truth is, it is an open q question
as to whether or not the state has
taken hold of the bird question at the
right end. 1t is well enough to pro-
hibit the slaughter of birds out of
season or, as in the case of most of
them, at an ytime. But this will not
keep the birds with us. The same
law of life operates with birds as with
mankind. No free nation has ever
voluntarily migrated from a fruitful
land or remained in an unfrutful one
which they could leave. Food! Food.
Food! This has been the insitiable
demand of the ages. Hunger peopled
the earth. 1t brought the Aryans into
Europe. 1t took the Germans into
Italy, the Saxons into England. 1t
settled Georgia. 1t is, in it's last an
alysis, at the base of the world-war
now raging. Room to grow-a place
in the sun-both mean hunger.
1t is the same with birds, only it is,
in their case, annular. 1t is true that
they follow the seasons north and
south, but it is the vanishing line of
insect and plant life that draws. The
hereditary instinct points the way.
The naturalist professional ana
amateur, know why, in Georgia,
places once inhabited by birds are
now forsaken. 1t is because the sourc-
es Of their food have been DESTROYED
and the danger from predatory enem-
les increased. The wild cherry, null
berry, dogwood, holly, gallberry,
chinaberry, black gums, pines and
scores of smaller plants supply many
birds in their seasons with food. The
swamp and field plants and grasses
supply others. Or they support insect
life from which the birds derive ben
eft. Sweep these from the lands,
clear the coverts, and you destroy
bird life. The gun is insignificant be-
sides these. All the game laws and
game wardens in the world cannot
keep hungry birds on naked lands.
If the state authorities will examine
the great bird and game preserves of
the world they will note that it is
deemed just as important t. leave the
environment of birds undisturbed as
the birds themselves. Even the Mev-
leans, the ancient ones, prohibited on
pain of death, the setting of human
foot on a guano island during the
breeding season of the birds. To clear
our woods and valleys of timber and