The Raymer enterprise., 1916-06-01

structye pest. has been proved to be favori.e
food for the killdecr.
The chimney swift. almost always called the
chimney swallow. although IL is not a swallow
at all. Is sometimes looked upon as a nuisance
because In the summer time II 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 swiftwinged bird never lights
upon the ground. tree or a building Its only
resting place is sooty bricks In the dark
interior OF chimney or on the inner wood OF
some hollow tree in wilderness that knows no
chimney. All OF the swift's food is captured on
the wing 1t eats thousands OF mosquitoes gnats
and other noxious winged insects 1t hunts from
daylight to dark and all its hunting Ia In the
interest of man. The swift gathers Its nesting
material while the wing II has curious
habit. while In flight. of nipping on the tips OF
dead iwigs and so quickly and neatly is the
thing done that the eye barely can follow the
operation.
The bueblrd. with lts violet OF song" is loved
wherever 1t Is known. Luckily bluebrds are
prolific creatures for about twenty years ago a
severely cold winter made such inroads on the
tribe that II was feared the birds might never
come back into their own. They came back. and
now there are as many as ever and they are con.
tinung warfare against mans enemies with no
pacheist in the land TO interpose objection
The buehiri is given third place In the list OF
the ten most benehcent birds Science is cruel
In order to be kind. Nearly nine hundred blue.
birds met death that the scientists might
prove that they were useful to man. An exam.
nation 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"
II is a happy thing for the buebird that the
scientists are able to set It down that so far as
Its vegetable food Is concerned the bird is posi-.
lively harmless" The bluebird Is beauty II
is neighborly and kindly disposed Its appealing
springtime note sounds far away. for the blue.
bird is a ventriloquist 1t perches in a tree at
The doorstep but seemingly calls to you from
the skies
The iowny woodpecker Ia the tniest member
of the woodpecker family which spreads itself
pretty well over the United States The downy
eats everything In the bug and insect line from
tiny ants to big caterpars Frequently these
little woodpeckers are shot by orchardists be.
cause they appear to be iniuring the trees This
is what Dr. Glover. an entomologist of the De-
partment of Agriculture. has said concerning this
matter OF suspicion
"On one occasion downy woodpecker was
observed making number OF small rough.
edged perforations in the bark OF young shade
tree, Upon examining the tree when the bird
had flown away. II was found that wherever the
bark had been injured the young larvae OF the
wood-eating beetles had been snugly coiled under.
meath and had been destroyed by the birds The
hairy woodpecker. a bigger brother OF the downy,
also is a benefcent bird but the little one
rather outdoes the big one in the work of well.
doing.
The phoebe is the true harbnger OF spring.
even II the robin and the bluebird more frequent.
ly are given the honor. The phoebe belongs to
the tribe Of fycatchers and II takes virtually all
OF Its food on the wing. II cannot come north
until spring comes its companion. because its
food does not fly about In cold weather
have seen 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 no favorites Out from the limb she
would dart there would be click OF the bin
and an insect tidbit would be fed to one OF the
fedgngs The young were fed one after an.
other. the mother bird apparently remembering
which one had been given the last mouthful
r Z. 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.
tion than the common phoebe Its habit OF AZ.
sociating itself with man and his works its
trustfu disposition and the fact that It never Ia
seen to prey upon any product Of hnsbandry have
rendered II almost sacred"