Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-11-03
BIRDS TOO FEW ON FARMS
SAYS BIOLOGISTS REPORT
Census of Late Prof. w. w. Cooke
Furnishes Instances Support
ing Protective Policy.

The last report of the late Prof
Wells W. Cooke, assistant biologist of
the United States biological survey,
containing the 1915 bird census" a
work formulated by Prof Cooke in
1881. has been issued by the Depart
ment, of Agriculture.
Shortly after writing this second an
nual report on the bird count work.
which attracted general attention
throughout the country. Prof Cooke
died on March 80. 1916, following q
short illness.
The second count of the birds of the
United States, according to Prof. Cooke s
results obtained by the. preliminary
work of 1914. 1t should be pointed out
that reports on the work have been is
sued but twice. but that Prof. Cooke
formulated the bird census in 1881
with a study of bird migration in the
Mississippi valley.~SOf recent years he
had worked out the arrival of birds in
the District of Columbia to a degree of
accuracy exceeding that for any other
section of the United States.
Respond to Food and Shelter.
The counts of 1915, according to the
report. emphasizes the statement pre-
are too few on the farms. He cites in
stances to show how largely birds will
respond to food. shelter and protection.
The average bird population on each
area covered showed eighty pairs of
birds in 1915 to siXty-nine pairs in 1914
on areas averaging about sixty acres.
Win an average population for each
100 acres of 125 pairs in 1915 as COM
pared with 119 pairs in 1914.
fn 1rnf lyabs t1,A
most elaborate report to the biological
survey in 1915 was that of the campus
He says:
blocks. and the survey of each was
made by a different person, the whole
being, in charge of Prof. Arthur A.
Allen of the university. Following is
description of each of the six blocks:
Students No Terror to sparrows.
Block A. twenty-five acres. hillside
pasture with a few trees; block B.
thirty-four acres, hillside planted with
scattered groups of trees and shade
trees about residences, with very little
shrubbery; block c, eighty-seven acres.
containing lawns. shade trees. a little
shrubbery and most of the university
buildings; block D. twenty-four acres
about one-third woodland, containing
residences with shade trees and some
shrubbery; block E, sixty-four acres. a
clover Held. small nursery, a little
woodland and many new buildings.
block F, twenty-five acres, a hillside
pasture covered with a thicket Of
thorn apple and containing a stream.
1t Is interesting to note the wide
variations in the bird population of the
various sections. Block C. which con-
tains the university buildings, and.
therefore, has the largest human popu-
lat1on, hundreds of students passing and
repassins all day, has less than the aver
age of native birds. but swarms with
English sparrows. in numbers almost
equal to the total of the native birds
Block ID, containing residences, with their
shade trees and shrubbery. has the great
est density of native bird population
eighty-four pairs on twenty-four acres;
and blocks A and F. hillside pastures,
though supporting population of native
birds considerably above the average for
the state. are almost free from English
sparrows.'