Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1916-07-14

structive pest, has been proved to be favorite
food for the killdeer.
The chimney swift, almost always called the
chimney swallow, although it is not swallow
at all, is sometimes looked upon as a nuisance
because in the summer time it is apt to make
more or less of racket in the chimneys lead
ing from bedrooms in which tired folk are try
ing to sleep. This swift-winged bird never lights
upon the ground, tree a building. Its only
resting place is sooty bricks in the dark
interior of a chimney the inner wood OF
some hollow tree in wilderness that knows no
chimney. All of the swifts food is captured on
the wing It eats thousands of mosquitoes, gnats
and other noxious winged insects 1t hunts from
daylight to dark and all its hunting is in the
interest of man. The swift gathers its nesting
material while the wing. 1t has curious
habit, while in fight, Of nipping off the tips of
dead twigs. and quickly and neatly is the
thing done that the eye barely follow the
operation.
The bluebird, with its violet of song" is loved
wherever it is known. Luckily bluebirds
prolific creatures, for about twenty years ago
severely cold winter made such inroads the
tribe that it was feared the birds might never
come back into their own. They came back. and
now there are as many as and they con-
tinuing a warfare against mans enemies with no
pacifcist in the land to interpose objection.
The bluebrd is given third place in the list of
in order to be kind Nearly nine hundred blue
birds met death so that the scientists might
prove that they were useful to man. An exam
inaticn of the stomachs of the martyrs showed
that 6S per cent of the food consists Of insects
and their allies. while the other 80 per cent is
made up of various vegetable substances found
mostly in the stomachs of birds taken in winter"
1t is a happy thing for the bluebird that the
scientists are able to set 1t down that so far
its vegetable food is concerned the bird is posi-
lively harmless" The bluebird is beauty. 1t
is neighborly and kindly disposed. Its appealing
spring time note sounds far away, for the blue
bird is ventriloquist 1t perches in a tree at
the doorstep but seemingly calls to you from
the skies.
The downy woodpecker is the tiniest member
of the woodpecker family which spreads itself
pretty we'll over the United States. The downy
eats everything in the bug and insect line from
tiny ants to big caterpillars. Frequently these
little woodpeckers shot by orchardsts be-
cause they appear to be injuring the trees. This
is what DR.. Glover. entomologist Of the De-
partment of Agriculture, has said concerning this
matter of suspicion:
ION one occasion a downy woodpecker was
observed making a number of small, rough
edged perforations in the bark of young shade
tree. Upon examining the tree when the bird
had flown away it was found that wherever the
bark had been injured the young larvae of the
wood-eatng beetles had been snugly coiled under
meath and had been destroyed by the birds. The
hairy woodpecker, bigger brother of the downy,
also is beneficent bird, but the little
rather outdoes the big one in the work of we'll
doing
The phoebe is the true harbinger of spring.
even If the robin and the bluebrd more frequent
ly are given the honor The phoebe belongs to
the tribe of fycatchers and it takes virtually all
of its food on the wing. 1t cannot come north
until spring comes as its companion, because its
food does not fly about in cold weather.
| have four young phoebes sitting side
by side on the limb of tree while the mother
bird for two hours struck down quarry with which
to feed them Not mistake did she make. and
she played favorites. Out from the limb she
would dart. there would be click Of the bill
and insect tidbit would be fed to one of the
fedglings. The young were fed after an
other. the mother bird apparently remembering
which one had been given the last mouthful.
F. E. L. Beal of the Biological Survey says all
that is necessary to prove the phoebe's case:
There are but few birds in the United States
more endeared to the rural and village popua-
ton than the common phoebe Its habit Of as
sociating itself with and his works, its
trustful disposition and the fact that It never Is
seen to prey upon any product Of husbandry have
rendered IT almost sacred"