T. CSÖRGEY — STUDIES ON THE PROTECTION OF BIRDS 2» 



Studies on the protection of birds in the 

 years 1919 and 1920. 



By Titus Csöbgey. 



As a basis for the organisation by the State concerning the practical 

 protection of birds, we took the forest of the State, which were situated, 

 at the foot of the Karpathian mountains surrounding the Kingdom. We 

 reckoned that the increasing number of useful birds, especially the 

 Titmouses, would in roving about during winter proceed from there to 

 the orchards of lover Hungai^ and settle down there for good. Our 

 reckoning was right. Now how^ever through the dismembering of our 

 Country, the result of 15 years work has been almost totally destroyed. 

 We nearly lost all our State forests, the emplements for the protection 

 of birds, Avhich remained there, are doomed to destruction in consequence 

 of the banishment of their keepers. But those settlements for the protection 

 of. birds, we could keep in our hands, were greatly damaged at the 

 time of war and revolution are urgently needing renovation. Those special 

 nestingboxes, which I constructed for the settling down and especially 

 wintering of bats living in the liollows of the trees (Pterygistes ììoctula 

 ScHEEB., Plecotus auritus L., Plecotus pipistrellus Schbeb.) at our model 

 settlement at Kiskunhalas, were likewise destroyed. The bird nesting- 

 box is not practical for these, because through the entrance above, the 

 cold air in winter is freely streaming in downwards, whereas the warmth 

 of the animal resting at the bottom, escapes upwards ; therefore the box 

 for tlie bat has it's entrance at the bottom, so that the thicker cold air 

 cant reach the top, where the bats are resting. To attract the bats to 

 the boxes I prepared a lure of guano solution. In consequence of the 

 requisition of every kind of guns diu'ing the occupation by foreign troops 

 after the war, the number of harmful animals as well as the nestrobbing 

 Magpies and Grey Crows has increased incredibly. To lessen these birds 

 an action has been prepared by the authorities through all the Kingdom. 

 The experiments were made by putting in artificial nests half shells af 

 hen's eggs, filled up with a mixture of phosphorated hashed meat ; the 

 result was exceedingly good, at some places even to the extent of 90%. 

 We didnt like to use this last expedience, the poison, but considering 

 the interest of our singing birds and the diminished small game, we 

 were obliged to proceed with it. 



