South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-06-14
How Man Encourages His Very Best
Enemies Insects, Bugs and Rodents

promised we'll But again the crickets
appeared. devouring every blade OF
wheat. and the followers OF Joseph
Smith were on the verge Of starvation.
At this junction Franklin's gull came
by hundreds OF thousands and, feed
ing greedily on the crickets freed
the fields OF the pest The settlers at
Salt Lake regarded the advent OF the
gulls as a heaven-sent miracle. and
practically canonized the birds.
Since that hour this black headed
gull has remained a faithful servitor
OF the farmers OF Utah. At the
present moment a movement Is on
foot TO erect a monument to this
bird in Salt Lake City, thus showing
beftting and seemly sense Of graft
tude for its inestimable services in
guarding the State from the raw
ages OF insects
Yet in these very regions. in these
vast areas OF valuable timber, every
trunk OF which man will some day
need. there are being killed annually
millions Of the feathered guardians Of
the tree, and killed. too, for no
worthier purpose than that, dead.
they may defame a woman's head.
The injury TO trees. crops and grass
by the insects is not the only evil that
iii NNAAo man as sequence 10 the
detruction OF birds. Rapacious birds
hold a chief place among the forces
which are appointed to hold in check
small rodents. which breed rapidly.
and unless kept within bounds are ex-
ceedingly destructive. Yet. notvyith-
standing the unanimous testimony Of
careful students Of birds and their
food habits TO the effect that almost
all hawks and owls are beneficial, a
widespread prejudice still exists
against them. They are slain as re-
lentlessly as If they were enemies
instead Of friends Of the farmer
The number Of small rodents eaten
by the rapaciOus birds is almost as re-
markable in proportion to their size
as is the number OF insects eaten by
small insectivorous birds. During the
Summer Of 1890 a pair of barn owls
occupied a tower in a building at
washington. After their departure
there were found in the regurgitated
pellets, with which the floor was
strewn. Asa skulls of small rodents.
In 1856 the Legislature of Pennsyl-
vania passed an act, known as the
scalp act" which provided a bounty
of so cents each on hawks and owls
killed within the State limits, and
fec OF 20 cents 10 the notary taking
the affidavit. AS a result Of this act
$50, 900 was paid in bounties during
the year and a half subsequent to the
passage of the act. An Eruption of
small rodents followed and did dam
age to the agricultural interests OF
the State amounting to $3,s50. 600.
And even these figures. enormous as
they were. do not represent the entire
less. Years must elapse before the
balance of nature. which was de-
stroyed, can be restored.
The destruction of the white heron
for its scapular piumes has robbed
half the world Of a bird which is
m ost useful 20 man. 1t never touches
grain, but feeds solely near water and
over damp ground. the breeding places
of innumerable batrachians. small
crustaceans and pestiferous insects,
all OF which directly or indirectly in
juriously AFFECT crops in the neighbor-
hood.
The injury done 10 domestic animals
by biting and parasitic insects is very
great. If it were not for the services
the bird renders in alighting on ami
mails in search of these parasites. or
in catching the flies on the wing,
or in eating them in the embryo state.
man would be unable to keep his
livestock.
{ Birds unquestionably are one Of
mans most valuable possessions, yet
II is just the possession on which he
sets the least value.
Wherever there are birds whose
plumage is suitable for millinery,
there will the cruel and rapacious
agents Of the feather dealers be found
engaged in orgies of waSteful de-
struction. Whenever there are birds
that are classed as game" there has.
tens the market hunter to kill. kill,
kill. so long as any salable thing
remains to be killed. Wherever there
are species that have been harried by
man to the brink Of extinction, there
will be the collector also, anxious to
obtain the last lingering representa-
tives of race before his rival gets
chance TO do so.
Wherever there are birds whose
eggs are valuable, there hurries the
egg collector to destroy not only the
embryonic life but often the mature
life as we'll by shooting the bird that
laid the egg for the purpose of iden-
tifcation. Wherever in the wild
places of the earth there are birds
which are considered good sport"