BIRD NOTES AND NEWS. 



59 



carriers," pointed out that Woodpigeons 

 suffer from a diphtheria which may or 

 may not be communicable to man ; and in 

 Pheasants suffering from pneumonia he has 

 found a bacillus exactly similar to " that now 

 regarded as the most frequent, if not the 

 sole, cause of genuine acute lobar pneumonia 

 in man." The pigeon, remarks Dr. Sambon, 

 is already considered vermin. Are we to 

 read in the next revision of the Society's 

 catalogue that " noxious vermin " comprise 

 rats, mice, sparrows, fleas, flies, and 

 pheasants ? 



One word more. Correspondents protest- 

 ing against the ways of the new Society drew, 

 says its Secretary, " a heartrending picture 

 of the time when our present boys and girls 

 would have developed into beings without 



any feelings, when they would take life — 

 the life of small animals and birds — as readily 

 as they now take the life of a fly." The 

 average village boy needs perhaps little 

 encouragement in this respect ; but what he 

 does need there seems some reason to fear 

 the I.S.D.V. may supply. In one parish at 

 least communications with the executive Led 

 to a proposition for prizes to be offered to 

 the school children bringing in the Largest 

 number of smashed birds and stolen eggs — 

 " spadgers," of course. This particular 

 parish happened to be one where the " Bird 

 and Tree" scheme has been for years de- 

 veloped by a distinguished resident. But in 

 how many other districts will children be 

 recruited to bring up Sparrow Club "points " 

 and win I.S.D.V. prizes ? 



^r usr Economic Ornithology, ucr usr 



The investigation into " The Food of some 

 British Birds," by Mr. R. Newstead, of Liver- 

 pool University, which forms a supplement to 

 the December number of the Journal of the 

 Board of Agriculture, constitutes a more 

 useful contribution to this much-discussed 

 question than do most of the compilations 

 and statements that are put forth. 

 Mr. Newstead gives the results of post- 

 mortem examination of 871 birds of 128 

 species, and adds to these careful notes 

 of field observations. The material was 

 mostly obtained in Cheshire, chiefly "in the 

 autumn and winter months. What food was 

 available is not stated, and it is always 

 necessary to remember in the case of 'post- 

 mortems that soft insect food disappears and 

 leaves little trace where seeds and other 

 hard matter remain distinct for a long period. 

 " Taken in the aggregate, however," says 

 the writer, " these records clearly show 

 what an important part the majority of 

 our British birds play in checking the in- 

 crease and lessening the ravages of many 



of the pests of the garden and field." More- 

 over, if it were possible to give a complete 

 record from observation of the food of nest- 

 lings, the balance in favour of the birds would 

 undoubtedly be heavier ; for most observers 

 will agree with Mr. Xewstead that " with 

 more extended observation we shall find 

 that not only are the young of the various 

 species of insectivorous birds fed upon soft- 

 bodied insects, especially caterpillars, but 

 that the same kind of food is carried to the 

 young of many of the Finches and other 

 hard-billed birds which, in their adult stages, 

 subsist very largely on a seed and grain 

 diet." Even the House-Sparrow has some- 

 thing placed to his credit by the bird-watcher 

 at this stage of its career. 



It is impossible to tabulate here the 

 conclusions of Mr. Xewstead or the classes 

 in which he groups the birds according to 

 their degree of utility ; but one or two points 

 may be noted. His investigations strongly 

 emphasize the value of the Rook and of 

 the Black-headed Gull in destroying the 



