416 MISSOURI STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



INSECTIVOROUS BIRDS. 



We have friendly and unfriendly birds, as we have desirable and 

 undesirable insects. Those birds which are named below have sterling 

 virtues placed to their credit, but some of them may also have a weak- 

 ness for the destroying of friendly little insect parasites. But perfec- 

 tion must not be looked for, and we must give them credit for the good 

 offices performed of which we have a knowledge. 



The following birds are to be classed among the most helpful 

 kinds in the general warfare against insects : Kobins — cut and other 

 earth worms. Swallows, night-hawks and purple martins — moth 

 catchers. Pewees — striped cucumber bugs. "Wood thrushes and 

 wrens — cutworms. Catbirds — tent caterpillar. Meadow larks, wood- 

 peckers and crows — wire worms. Blue-throated buntings — canker 

 worms. Black, red- winged birds, jays, doves, pigeons and chippies — 

 strawberry pests. Quail — chinch bags, locusts. Whip-poor-wills — 

 moths. Hawks, all-night birds, owls, etc., tanagers and black-winged 

 summer red birds — curculios. There may also be mentioned the fol- 

 lowing insect pest destroyers : Nut crackers, fly catchers, chimney 

 swifts, indigo birds, chipping and song sparrows, black birds, mocking 

 birds, orchard orioles. 



Michigan is one of the States in which a bounty is paid for the 

 extermination of the English sparrow. But according to a late bulle- 

 tin from the Experiment station of that State the bounty too often 

 helps forward the destructive work of the sparrows by killing other 

 insectivorous birds. Too many of the county clerks cannot distinguish 

 the head of an English sparrow from that of a linnet or a thrush, and 

 money is actually paid for the destruction of such valuable birds as 

 the song sparrow, the red-polled linnet and the evening grosbeak — 

 birds which are protected by the State, under a law which makes their 

 slaughter a misdemeanor to which a penalty of five dollars is attached. 

 The bulletin gives such illustrations and descriptions as will enable the 

 officers to distinguish between the native birds and the foreign nui- 

 sances. Nevertheless the law should be amended so as to make it the 

 duty of the county clerks to inform themselves and to collect a fine 

 for every native bird offered for a bounty. It is to be remembered that 

 the English sparrows destroy fruit, grain and vegetables. They attack 

 blossoms, young fruit and grain at harvest time. They eat some insects, 

 bat they protect more than they feed upon by driving away native in- 

 sectivorous birds. Wrens, martins, swallows, blue-birds and even 

 robins and wild pigeons suffer from these marauders, who destroy 

 nests, young birds and eggs for no other apparent purpose than to 

 drive these birds out of the neighborhood.— Garden and Forest. 



