56 NEBRASKA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Some birds, but tliese are comparatively few, are harmful through- 

 out the year; i. e., their food-habit is such as to count against them 

 when the ledger is balanced. Two of our hawks, the Blue Jay and 

 English Sparrow will fall in this category, but aside from these it 

 would not be safe to begin killing birds indiscriminately, for in so do- 

 ing we might be injuring ourselves financially. 



It is true that reports have reached us at the University of Ne- 

 braska to the effect that certain birds like the blackbirds, Robin, Brown 

 Thrush, English Sparrow, and orioles had done great injury by pecking 

 apples full of holes as they hung on the trees. It has also reached us 

 that these same birds had occasionally been observed to destroy certain 

 injurious insects. 



On the following pages is given as nearly a complete list of the dif- 

 ferent species and varieties of Nebraska birds as could at this time be 

 compiled from the data available. While it has been impossible to 

 give an account of the food-habits of each one separately, or even of 

 each group fully, I trust that in most cases sufficient has been said to 

 warrant the reader in looking into the subject more closely for himself 

 before he ruthlessly kills birds about whicii he knows nothing or but 

 little. lu certain special cases where birds have been known to attack 

 fruit and other crops the food-habits, along with other notes, will be 

 found in connection with the bird's name at its proper place in the list. 



In closing this preliminary chapter to a list of our Nebraska birds, 

 it might be well to suggest that the subject is of sufficient importance 

 to call for its being taught in our public schools to a limited extent at 

 least. We should have a "Bird" day just as we have an "Arbor" 

 day, and a "Flag" day, when suitable exercises should be held com- 

 memorative of the occasion. 



It might also be well to add that we have laws in this state against 

 the indiscriminate slaughter of birds wiiich it might be worth know- 

 ing about. These will be found incorporated in the appendix to the list 

 which follows. 



