The Monticellonian., 1916-06-01

struetive pest, has been proved to be favorite food for the killdeer
 The chimney swift, almost always called the chimney swallow. although it is not a swallow at all is sometimes looked upon a nuisance because in the summer time 1t is apt to make more or less of a 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. It's only resting place is on sooty bricks in the dark interior of chimney on the inner wood of some hollow tree in a wilderness that knows no chimney. All of the swifts food is captured on the wing. It eats thousands of mosquitoes, gnats and other noxous winged insects It hunts from daylight to dark, and all it's hunting is in the interest of man The swift gathers it's nesting material while on the wing. It has a curious habit while in flight, of nipping off the tips of dead twigs. and quickly and neatly is the thing done that the eye barely follow the operation.
 The bluebrd with it's violet of song" is loved wherever It Is known. Luckily bluebrds prolific creatures. for about twenty years ago severely cold winter made such inroads on the tribe that 1t feared the birds might never come back into their own They came back. and there many and they tinuing a warfare against mans enemies with pacifcst in the land to interpose objection.
 The bluebird is given third place in the list of the ten most beneficent birds. Science is cruel in order to be kind. Nearly nine hundred blue birds met death that the scientists might prove that they useful to man An ination of the stomaehs of the martyrs showed that 6S per cent of the food consists of insects and their allies. while the other 32 per cent is made up Of various vegetable substances found mostly Tn the stomachs of birds taken iI winter" It is a happy thing for the bluebird that the scientists are able to set it down that 50 far it's vegetable food Is concerned the bird is posi- iuaII horr IaGc rba 1uab bird ia haan is neghborly and kindly disposed It's appealing spring time note sounds far away. for the blue bird is ventriloquist. It perches in tree at the doorstep but seemingly calls to you from the skies.
 The downy woodpeeker is the tiniest 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 eaterpillars Frequently these little woodpeckers shot by orchardists be- cause they appear to be iniuring the trees. This is what Dr. Glover entomologist of the De partment of Agriculture, has said concerning this matter of suspicion:
 "On one occasion a downy woodpecker was observed making a number of small rough edged perforations in the bark of a 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-eating beetles had been snugly coied under meath and had been destroyed by the birds. The hairy woodpecker, bigger brother of the downy, also is benedeent bird. but the little one rather outdoes the big one in the work of we'll doing
 The phoebe is the true harbinger of spring, if the robin and the bluebrd more frequent ly given the honor The phoebe belongs to the tribe of Ayeatehers and it takes virtually all of it's food the wing. It cannot come north until spring comes its companion, because it's food does not fly about in cold weather.
 have four young phoebes sitting side by side 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 a click of the bill and insect tidbit would be fed to one of the fedglngs. The young were fed after other. the mother bird apparently remembering which had been given the last mouthful.
 F. F. L. Real of the Biological Survey says all that is necessary to prove the phoebe's case:
 There but few birds in the United States more endeared to the rural and village popula- tion than the common phoebe Its habit of as soeiatng itself with and his works. it's trustful disposition and the fact that it never is seen to prey upon any product of husbandry have rendered it almost sacred