1885. J INTERNATIONAL BIRD PROTECTION. IGl 



single night ; besides, rare species are obtained by the light-keepers 

 throughout the year. Again, M. Nonay captured 125 dozen of 

 insectivorous birds in the crarden of a lighthouse during the month 



o o o 



of April. 



Some facts as to the work of birds whose destruction is seriously 

 threatened will show their place in the balance of nature. The owl 

 and screech-owl will destroy several hundreds of house and field 

 mice in a season ; a couple of sparrows will destroy 4300 cater- 

 pillars; a swallow will capture about 16,-320 flies and gnats during 

 the five or six months of its periodic visits ; and a small group of 

 tom-tits will, in fifteen days, rid the culturist of 5760 adult insects, 

 grubs, and larvtc. 



Our winged friends have not been without detractors. The 

 English agricultural press lately bristled over with the sparrow 

 controversy. But Macgillivray attributed the productiveness of the 

 market-gardens surrounding London greatly to the aid of this bird ; 

 while M. Brehm says that the trees in the public gardens and 

 squares of Paris flourish because of its similar services in destroying 

 noxious insects. A like certificate of usefulness has come from Xew 

 York and Philadelphia ; while a cargo of the birds was lately 

 shipped to Australia with similar intents. The starling has also 

 been much spoken against, though the utility of no bird can be 

 more easily proved. When the young ones are first hatched, the 

 parents bring food to them in the morning every three minutes, in 

 the evening every five minutes ; so, during seven morning hours 

 140 slugs are consumed, to which must be added 84 for the 

 evening meal; and thus, in the end, 364 slugs a day may be 

 destroyed by a family of starlings. Provided with artificial nests, 

 starlings, numbering in all 504, may destroy 55,250 slugs in a 

 season. By wise planning on the part of a forester in the Grand 

 Duchy of Gotha, the starlings have so increased since 1856 that 

 ■ 180,000 birds now daily destroy at least 12 milliards (600 millions) 

 of slugs. On his journey to the Conference, through Wurtemberg 

 and Bavaria, our reporter saw starlings' artificial nests, either on 

 poles before the houses of the villages, or attached to the walls 

 themselves. 



We may return to the doings and recommendations, educational 

 and legislative, of this Conference. 



The New Orleans Exhibition closed on the 6th of June. It 

 has been a financial failure ; and the United States Government, to 

 whom it is heavily indebted, refuse their sanction to its being 

 reopened in November. 



