Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-07-05
HABITS
TO BE STUDIED
BY UNCLE SAM
Government Bureau Asks Aid
of All Who Have Time and
knowledge.
USE TRAPS AND BANDS


would seem an impossible undertaking /; |
but the United States biological survey |
Is now preparing to do this very thing. |
DR.. H c. Oberholser, who told US
about it, and other ornithologists at the
bureau, are confident Of obtaining re- |
suits OF fhe greatest importance and In
terest
The method By which this study Is to
be carried on is that of banding the !
.irds-that is, catching them in traps, |
making a record of species, age, sex and
place OF capture, then placing q band
with 4 number and address on it about /
the leg of each bird and releasing it
again.
When this bird is recaptured. or in the
case OF game bird. perhaps killed, some
thing is learned of its travels and habits
and the length Of its life.
When one bird Is caught repeatedly, or
when a number of birds of q certain spe-
cies have been caught, a great deal may
be learned about the habits OF that kind
Of bird, and the information so gained,
especially about the travels OF the birds, !
win be of the greatest practical value IN
the making of regulations and interna-
ional treaties under the migratory bird
law which has given such wonderful re-
suits IN the in crease of migratory birds.
It is known, for example, that many
birds travel from North America to South
America and to the West Indies, and it
Is expected. when more information about
these migrants has been gained by trap
ping. to make trea ties with these nations
similar to that which we now have with
Canada for the protection OF these birds
STUDY OF HABITS
MOST IMPORTANT.
But the immediate and practical value
OF the studies is the smallest part OF
their interest to the scientists. They say
that as the work progresses and the
number Of birds under observation in
creases. numerous facts Will be dis
covered about their habits which can not
now be forecast.
The science of ornithology heretofore
has been engaged largely in the pre-
hminary work OF Identifying and CLASH
fying the birds.
Little systematic study has been given
to their habits. The work of classified
ton was OF course necessary, but only as
preliminary to the study OF bird
habits 1t is this latter study which
really Increases the value OF birds to
man. by teaching him how to protect
those that are Of value and get rid OF
those that are not
The importance to man of two great
groups OF birds-those that destroy IN
sects and those that furnish food and
sport-can scarcely be overestimated. and
Il Is these that will be sN-'died first
This bird banding Is not an expert
ment. as has been carried on In Europe
tor about twenty years and in the
United States for at least half that long
by the American Bird Banding assocIa-
ton, the work Of which latter organiza-
tion is now being taken over by the
United States government
Tbs biological survey is now asking
for volunteers TO help carry on the work.
and anyone who is interested should get
in touch with that bureau.
Tae-survey viii furnish the bands and
Instructions how to trap, handle and
band the birds, but the expense of the /
work must be borne by the individual.
The survey hopes to establish strings
Of trapping stations" across and up and
down the country, so that it will get re-
ports from all sections
Persons who live IN the country or in
the suburbs, who are interested in birds,
and who know by sight the varieties Of
birds IN their own neighborhoods are
qualified for the work-tn other words
you must be a pretty good amateur orni-
thologist to do this work, and you must
have the patience to carry it on for q lon
period of time in order to get valuable
results.
II you are willing and able to do this,
you have now an opportunity to make a
real contribution to science.
GETS EVIDENCE ON
FAITHLESS WRENs.
The methods of bird trapping have
been perfected, and some remarkable re-
suits already obtained by members of the
American Bird Banding association.
Special credit is due to s. Prentlss Bald
win wealthy man who has one country
place in Ohio and another IN Georgia,
and who has carried on bird banding
operations at both Of these places for a
number of years.
Limits Of space will not permit Of a
detailed account Of Baldwin's work. but
some Of the results he has obtained may
be recounted to show how little Is
actually known about the habits of
birds, and how this method of exact
study gets at the truth.
Birds, for example, have often been
cited as examples Of conJugaI affection.
The male and female work together to
build the nest and raise the brood, and
Il has been said Of many species that
each bird sticks to the same mate year
after year.
This beautiful legend may be true of
some DlruSp out MT. BALDWIN demon
strated that it is not altogether true of
wrens. he banded a pair Of nesting
wrens on his Georgia place and later
IN the season captured both of them
again.
Each of the wrens had at that time
taken a new mate and was engaged In
raising a new family.
One Of the questions that has long pug
zled ornithologists IL whether birds
travel each year the same routes in their
migrations, and spend the winters and
summers In the same places. Mr.. Bald
win found this to be exactly true of GER
tain species.
The same white-throated sparrows
came year after year TO his place in
Georgia, spending successive winters not
only in the same vicinity, but literally
about the same bush.
BIRDS HAVE
CHARACTER.
Mr.. Baldwin used in his operations
the government sparrow trap, which In
jures the bird very little or not at all, |
and he found that they were not badly |
frightened by being captured.
Many birds were captured again and |
again, and some Of them even insisted 1
on spending most Of their time in the |
trap, where there was plenty Of food
He was surprised to find how much /
individual character the birds had
Thus one sparrow which he captured |
repeatedly he came to know as a fighter |
for 1t would always peck and bite at |
linn with great courage and ferOcity /
when he took 1t IN his hand