12 BIRDS OF CALIFOENIA AFFECTING FRUIT INDUSTRY, 



fruit, and -would serve the added purpose of attracting insectivorous 

 birds to the locality. Birds undoubtedly select" breeding places with 

 reference to the convenience of food and water, and a constant supply 

 of the latter attracts to the vicinity many desirable species. The 

 insectivorous kinds would more than pay the orchardist for his trouble 

 in their behalf by feeding upon the insects that injure his trees; 

 while fruit-eating species, like the linnet, being able to quench their 

 thirst with water, would not be compelled to resort to fruit for this 

 purpose. 



The writer once observed a leak}' hydrant situated between two 

 rather extensive areas of orchards. The little pool maintained by the 

 drip of this pipe was almost constantly surrounded by birds which 

 all the time were coming and going, so that the number that visited 

 it each d^y must have been well up in the thousands. An arrange- 

 ment for this purpose need be neither elaborate nor expensive, and 

 would serve a useful purpose. 



READJUSTAIENT OF CONDITIONS. 



In relation to the destruction of crops by birds in a comparatively 

 newly planted region, experience everywhere shows that after a time 

 there is a partial readjustment of conditions, so that inroads by birds 

 become much less common or wholly cease. On the Atlantic side 

 of the continent at the present time, with the exception of the 

 ravages of bobolinks in the rice fields of the southeastern coast States, 

 few if any cases are known of the annual destruction of crops by 

 birds, while during the first half of the nineteenth century the 

 several species of blackbirds were a constant menace to grain. Pres- 

 ent immunity results from the fact that increased density of popula- 

 tion has destroyed the nesting sites and reduced the numbers of some 

 of the most noxious birds. This readjustment of conditions is likely 

 to take place sooner or later in all cases where the balance of nature 

 is disturbed, but in most cases the process may be hastened by the 

 adoption of measures like the ones above mentioned. 



DAMAGES BY BIKDS GENERALLY . 



Study of a number of cases of serious damage by birds leads to the 

 conclusion that as a rule such damage is due to the concentration of 

 a great number of birds within a limited area, usually of a single 

 species or several closely allied ones. If the birds are seed eaters, 

 they visit the grain fields and leave ruin and destruction in their path ; 

 if fruit lovers, they seek the orchard and play havoc with the crop. 

 Instances of this kind are the raids of bobolinks in the rice fields of 



