SANCTUARY 273 



of surroundings the nests of the different birds 

 are to be found. 



''Now the Biological Survey, in order to protect 

 the fruit-growers from depredation by birds, has 

 made an elaborate investigation of the favorite 

 foods of birds. The United States government 

 can give you detailed information on this point.^ 

 Thus McAtee found that, in a majority of in- 

 stances, birds prefer the wild fruit — which has no 

 commercial value — to cultivated fruit, which de- 

 mands a high price. Take cherries, for example. 

 If a large number of birds begin to feed in a cherry 

 orchard, they cause a great deal of loss to the 

 grower. What can he do to protect himself? He 

 can't poison the cherries, for then they would be 

 useless for the market. It would cost a great deal 

 of money to keep some one in the orchard, fright- 

 ening the birds away. It is forbidden to shoot the 

 birds. What is he going to do? 



"Now, let us look at it for a moment from the 

 bird's point of view. He eats the cherries because 

 he is hungry. W^ould he eat them if he could find 

 something better to eat, something, moreover, 



1 Bulletin : "How to attract birds in different sections of the 

 United States." U. S. Biological Survey, U. S. Dept. of Agri- 

 culture, Washington, D. C. Sent free on request. 



