The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-04-29
The Government Is Preparing
to Take a Census
Of the Feathered Inhabitants OF
the United States.
IT CALLS FOR VOLUNTEERS
archaeological Experts Are Es-
peciaIIy in Demand.
Only Those Willing to Work
without Pay Invited.

N,,,i+ary experts may be developing
- hairs or losing them in battllhs
-, scbenes to increase the army anu
-. put their woes have nothing on
-, dopartment of agriculture. FROM
- bureau of biological survey OF me
--ic,1l+ural department IN Washln9
80 has come a call for volunteer p:l1 i
Commentators to participate IN the tniie
annual bird count of the Onlteu Stato9 ;
National statesmen nave hesleS 49,
"a make provision for attaching pll
s,,,+-9erators to federal payrolls' 50
tbc departrnent of agriculture Is CdSl-
ING about for unpaid Observers ia.l9
caIl for a mobilization of enumeraeo u ,
IN, Nav. so that the count may pc
waged through the latter par VI +'if''
and June-the breeding season.
Volunteers can enlist by writing 10
the bureau Of biological survey, Unlted
states department OF asrlcuit ul t 9
washington. D. c. Dexterlty IN cas-
ing salt on an unsuspectlng plru TAI
is not sufficient quallhcatlon ~ P nv
1icipatine in the count however. - ~
work calls for considerable knowledge
of birds and unless the observer KNOWS
which species MARBLES in hlSh II anu
which turns loose harmony IN lOWe I
kew the department OF aSrlcultu u :
bids fair to entertain suspicion thdI
the enumerator is not prepared SUI
This wear the ornitholOgists of the
department wish particularly to secure
a large number of volunteers IN tLe
west to report on the bird lie IN tne
mains the semiaArd regions, the
deserts. and the mountains IN thal
mart OF the United States. Especial at
tention also is to be given to securing
data as to the birds in the fruit DIS
tricts of the Pacific coast ana the
south Atlantic and gulf states
To Test Laws Effect.
The information collected this year
IT is believed will be of special value
in enabling the department to test the
effect of state and rational bird laws
and also in determining what relation
ship exists between bird life and the
prevalence of locusts, srasshoppers
and other insect pests in different To-
calitics.
As it is impossible to make an &C
tual count of all the birds in any eX-
tended district, each enumerator mas
been asked to report only upon the
number Of bros breeding in a selected
area Of 40 to so acres in country or
suburban districts. From the figures
thus obtained. those in charge of the
work are able to approximate the to-
tai number of birds of each kind in
different sections of the country.
Enumerators who wish to report on
birds on farms have been asked to
choose an area which includes farm
buildings. shade trees, orchards, plow-
ed land, pasture or meadow or swamp,
but not very much woodland. The
enumeratOr begins his survey at day
light some morning and zigzags back
and forth in the selected area, count
ing the male birds. Early in the morn
ing during the last of May or the first
week of June every male bird should
be in full song and therefore easily
counted. The count of one day is to be
verified by observation on several
mornings.
In addition to reports on farms and
suburbs, enumerators who can do so
vii be asked to report on the birds in
timber area of about 40 acres or in
an isolated bit of woodland of from 10
TO 20 acres.