Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-09-11
On Behalf of Buzzards
ny Frciric } Haskin

Washington, -. g., Sept. b.-W1tf
several State health departments threaten
ing to make war on the turkey buzzard on
the ground that he spreads anthrax ant
hog cholera, the two most dreaded ol
stock diseases, the Biological Survey here
has charged To the rescue The turkey
buzzard, quiet bird citizen who has here
toforc attracted little attention, is nov
lin for dash Of publicity.
In DR. w. J.. McAtec, who seems to be
special counsel for the turkey buzzard,
and the other learned Government nat.
uralists, the slandered bird has an able
and experienced corps Of attorneys, These
gentlemen are as skillfun Mt applying the
whitewash as political press agent. 'Tis
a loathsomc and ferocious beast indeed
which they cannot prove to be a friend
Of man. They have been at work for
years teaching natural history through
the newspaper coloumns, with the prime
object Of saving the lives Of countless
birds, beasts and reptiles, which man has
long been in the habit Of killing on general
principles
Take the case of the hawk At the sight
Of a hawk Of any kind it used to be the
lnvariable rule to run for shotgun. But
by making martyrs Of a few hundred
hawks and analyzIng their stornachs the
Biological Survey proved conclusively
that, with q few exceptions, the hawks
are friends Of man. At killing mice and
rats they beat the average cat. A really
we'll posted farmer never shoots at hawk
any more without first asceftaining
whether it is friendly philanthropic
hawk or poutry-killing hawk.
SAVING THE OWLS.
The owls were likewise defended. DR..
L. K Fisher, man Of considerable bulk,
climbed every day for many months into
a high tower Of the Smithsonian Building
TO examine the leavings from the feasts Of
a pair Of owls up there, with the result
that he proved them innocent Of barnyard
depredations and responsible for the death
Of many a mouse and rat. These facts
were nailed wired and cabled to all parts
Of the civilized world, so that hence
forward IL is your duty before shooting
an owl TO ascertain whether he is Bubo
Philanthropic,is, the rat-killer, or Bubo
TerTifctls, who dimes on game and poultry.
Even the snakes have not been rejected
as clients by these biological pleaders
Owing 10 his unfortunate share in the
scandal Of the Garden Of Eden, the serpent
hrs been in bad odor ever since the rise
Y.
only some snakes deserve 10 be murdered.
Little or nothing can be said in favor Of
poisonous snakes, but the great majority
of snakes in this country are not poisonous
Thus the little garter snakes we are
taught to love. He kills mice and gophers
and does us no harm. The terrIble-looking
black snake, so often killed, is also harm
less and useful. lie Is a constructor too
small TO construct man, and he should
be encouraged TO live under the porch or
in the garret, as he is 30 fond Of doing
IL ne crawls into bed with you on a cold
autumn night. Just lie still and he win not
annoy you.
But 20 get down to the turkey buzzard.
Here is bird that faces a strong circun-
stantial case against him, and who has
few charms that appeal to the jury Just
as il is easy TO clear a pretty widow, who,
IN a petulent moment, has Drained her
husband with a rolling pin, so is II easy
to make out a case for sweet little bird
like the bobwhite, who sits on fence post
and whistles But it Is hard 10 find any,
thing charming in buzzard-an ugly.
ill-smelling bird that lives on carrion and
has bald head as ugly as sin.
Furthermore. this bird undoubtedly
dimes on the carrion of animals which have
died OF anthrax and hog cholera, and it
seems reasonable, therefore, that he should
be carrier of these diseases.
AN HEROIC STOMACH.
In defending him against this charge,
DR. McAtee instantly seizes upon the
buzzard's one strong point, which is his
digestion ANY bird that lives on meat in
the last stages of decay must have a
strong stomach. The assumption is
quickly proved TO be correct. A scientific
test shows that this phenomenal di-
gestive system of the buzzard IS death
to germs An anthrax or hog cholera
germ may go through chicken or an
opossum and come out alive, but not so
the buzzard. For germ the interior of a