FORTY-FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT. 71 



WHAT BIRD LIFP: MEANS TO MICHIGAN— AND WHY BIRDS 



SHOULD BE CONSERVED. 



BY HERBERT E. SARGENT^ DIRECTOR OF THE KENT SCIENTIFIC MUSEUM^ 



GRAND RAI'IDS^ MICHIGAN. 



Speaking under the auspices of the Grand Rapids Public Library, Mr. 

 Sargent delivered a most interesting lecture on the above topic, illus- 

 trated by a wealth of colored slides, whigh added interest and a clearer 

 insight into this subject by all who heard him. 



Ladies and Gentlemen, Members of the State Horticultural Society: 

 The matter of bird protection has gone beyond the sentimental stage. 

 Its advocates no longer plead for the birds because of the beauty of 

 song and plumage and their delight of their presence, although these 

 are worthy reasons for their protection. 



A more practical phase of the subject has been arrived at through 

 the admirable work accomplished by the bureau of biological survey at 

 Washington, by investigation in institutions of learning and by scores 

 of private individuals who have demonstrated beyond question the 

 economic importance of the birds as insect and weed destroyers. 



This information is largely based upon the study of bird stomachs 

 which has brought to light many interesting facts. For example, the 

 food found in the stomachs of 238 meadow larks leads to the follow- 

 lowing conservative estimate: Twenty birds to the square mile con- 

 sume, in grasshopper season, 1,000 grasshoppers in a day, or 30,000 in 

 a month. The grasshoppers would have consumed sixty-six pounds of 

 forage which would be equal to |24 value to each township. By such 

 compilations government authorities estimate that various kinds of in- 

 sects destroy a billion dollars' worth of crops in the United States 

 every year, or |10 apiece for every man, woman and child. 



DESTRUCTIVE INSECT^S FAVORITE FOOD. 



Bird study develops the fact that most of the destructive insects are 

 favorite food of many species of birds, and it is estimated that the 

 birds which are with us now annually save to the county hundreds of 

 millions of dollars' worth of crops. The government says that every 

 insect-eating bird is worth almost its weight in gold. 



Notwithstanding these facts, or because we are not conversant with 

 them, w^e allow hunters to kill our most valuable birds. For example, 

 50% of the food of the bobwhite or *'Quail" is weed seed, 25% waste 

 grain, 10% wild fruits and 15% insects, including the Colorado potato 

 beetle, cinchbug, cucumber beetle, wireworm, armyworm, cloverleaf 

 weevil and grasshoppers. As a food proposition he is worth but a few 

 cents. Why not let him work? 



We are at the present time glorying in the largest harvest ever pro- 



