The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1919-01-09
BIRDS BIG AID
IN WINNING WAR
Audubon Societies Tell Of Their
Work.
RESPOND TO HOOVER's CALL

Feathered Insect Eaters Help in Rails
Ing Of Big crops-lnvestigatlon
Shows That Pelican Preys Only on
Fish Not Eaten by Man-LandoWf.
ers Are Kept Informed on Practical
Use Of Bird Life Through Writings
and lectures
American birds did their part in the
war by aiding In food conservation, ac-
cording to the annual report Of the
National Association of Audubon So
cieties. z.a
Herbert G. Hoover, as food admins
traitor, had asked the American people
to protect the insect eating and mi
gratory birds. ~. -.
Increased acreage under cultivation
very naturally means more insects in
turn and the need Of more birds to
combat Them" says the Audubon So
cieties' report. Silence there has been
still greater need for Audubon serv-
Ice, which through it's many agencies
supplies information and through It's
wardens is protecting bird life."
Investigate Pelican.
II. Gilbert Pearson, executive head
Of the association, at the request Of
the food administration went to- the
Southern Atlantic coast to investigate
a complaint that the brown pelican was
destroying valuable food fish and there
fore should be exterminated. Els In
vestigation in the pelican colonies from
Mexico to Key West showed the re-
ports libelled the pelican clan. he
says the $1,000 odd adult pelicans In
those colonies prey entirely on fish
that Is not eaten by man and which
are destructive to the young of mar
ketable species.
Another complaint was that the sea
guils were despoiling the sheep ranges
on the islands off the coast of Maine.
An agent of the association investigat.
ing the report found that on the con-
trary the gulls were Of material aid
In increasing vegetation. ... .,..s...
.,z., The association was active In pre-.
venting the destruction Of the Klamath
and Malheur bird reservations In Ore
gon and California, which were to have
been dismantled and drained on the
plea that they were needed for farming
purposes. The birds which took refuge
there in the breeding season were
shown to be valuable conservators of
grain and fruit, justifying the use Of
the land as reserve.
Hill Practical Use Of Bird Life.
ii. X. Job, in charge Of the depart.
ment of applied ornithology, at his ex.
perimental bird farm at Amaton, Conn.,
made important investigations showing
the practical use Of bird life and dis
tributed his knowledge to landowners
through writings and lectures.
The work of the association will be
aided by the passage Of the enabling
act Of the migratory bird treaty, which
will afford. means Of protecting birds
on their way from the United States
to Canada. It Is expected that the act
will become law now that world peace
will permit more determined cam
paign in Its favor.
Despite the distraction caused by the
war, the association has had healthy
growth in the fiscal year. The move
lnent to show the economic value OF
the work brought into the association
161 life members, large yearly In
crease. An addition of 100000 boys
and girls were enrolled in the 6,201
classes conducted throughout the coun
try, work increased through the do
nations from the late Mrs. Russell
Sage, General Coleman du Pont and
George Eastman. The sustaining mem
bership Of the association now mum
.bers $500 persons, each Of whom pays
IS annually. 80 -