District of Columbia and South Carolina. In these states they may still be shot 

 between August 31 and November 1. Many bird lovers object even to this small 

 killing, for these insectivorous birds may almost be classed as song birds. The 

 reed birds are really the northern bobolinks which have been greatly decreased 

 by the greed of the hunters. 



It has been claimed that the rice birds of the South interfered with the crops, 

 but a scientific examination proves that the}' feed largely upon insects which 

 damage the grain. The substitution of the much hated English sparrow for 

 the reed bird in many restaurants is now admitted. Many claim that the dif- 

 ference is not easily detected. At present no consideration is being given to 

 sparrow conservation, and in the minds of most people they can be spared with 

 less loss to the countr}- than the bobolink. The migratory insectivorous birds 

 covered by the regulation include bobolinks, catbirds, chickadees, cuckoos, gros- 

 beaks, humming birds, martins, meadow larks, night hawks, orioles, robins, 

 shrikes, swallows, tanagers, titmice, thrushes, warblers, whippoorwills, wood- 

 peckers, wrens, and all other perching birds which feed entirely upon insects. 



A five-year closed season has been authorized, extending until September 

 of 1918. covering band tailed pigeons, swans, curlews and three varieties or 

 cranes. The enormous decrease in these birds threatens their total extinction, 

 so that a long closed season is considered absolutely essential to the continuation 

 of the species. A closed season shall extend also from January 1 to November 1 

 fc»r all migratory birds passing over or at rest upon any of the following navi- 

 gable rivers between certain designated points. These are the INIississippi from 

 New Orleans to Minneapolis, the Ohio between its mouth and Pittsburgh, and 

 the Missouri between its mouth and Bismarck, N. D. The prohibition of the 

 killing of birds along these waters, either from the shore or from boats, will no 

 doubt be keenly felt by many hunters. Yet it was considered necessary that the 

 birds should have a safe pathway to and from the Gulf of Mexico. 



Aside from the aesthetic value of birds, their destruction by the wholesale 

 methods which have been in operation has meant a great financial loss to the 

 nation. All parts of the country have sufifered from insect pests which did not 

 exist until the slaughter of the birds had lessened their protection. John Davey, 

 the pioneer tree surgeon, claims that millions of dollars are lost annually from 

 the destruction of trees by insects because of the scarcity of song birds. Where 

 there are plenty of song birds, no trees are seriously disturbed by insects. 



Scientists claim that the unrestricted natural increase of the gypsy moth 

 would defoliate the entire United States in less than eight years. Birds can do 

 more than any human device to overcome this pest. A scarlet tanager has been 

 seen to eat thirty-five gypsy moths a minute for eighteen minutes. Other birds 

 are equally rapacious. The spread of the gypsy moth in New England is directly 

 due to the decrease of the song birds. The destruction of blackbirds, prairie 

 chickens and other birds in the mifldle west is held responsible for the rax'ages 

 of the Rocky Mountain locust. 



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