BIRD NOTES AND NEWS. 



21 



THE VALUE OF BIRDS AS WEED 

 DESTROYERS. 



The useful work recently published on 

 " Common Weeds of the Farm and Garden," 

 by H. C. Long, of the Board of Agriculture, 

 and J. Percival, Professor of Agriculture at 

 University College, Reading, contains an 

 appendix briefly touching on the work done 

 by wild birds in destroying weed seeds. 

 " In one way or another," it is remarked, 

 "the vast majority of birds may be considered 

 useful, but their Avork in destroying weed 

 seeds is the only point which can be touched 

 on here." 



We have already briefly noted the fact that 

 birds may be agencies in the distribution of weeds' 

 seeds, but the harm done in this way must be in- 

 considerable when compared with the useful work 

 done by birds which largely subsist on the seeds of 

 wild plants. As an example of the aid farmers 

 receive from birds in this connection, it will be of 

 interest and value to mention briefly several birds 

 which eat large quantities of weed seeds. 



The Chaffinch devours innumerable seeds of weeds, 

 such as coltsfoot, groundsel, chickweed, charlock, 

 wild radish, knotweed, buttercup. Howard 

 Saunders says, " Both old and young feed largely 

 on insects and the seeds of weeds, so that in spite 

 of pilfering of fruit, vegetables, and newly-sown 

 seed, the Chaffinch may be considered as one of the 

 gardener's best friends." 



The Greenfinch is another seed-eater, taking large 

 quantities of the seeds of charlock, dandelion, dock, 

 corn marigold, plantain, goose-grass, corn crowfoot, 

 knotweed. 



The Bull finch also takes the seeds of many weeds — 

 self-heal, mouse-ear hawkweed, dock, charlock, 

 stinging nettle, groundsel, plantain, meadowsweet, 

 spear thistle, chickweed, ragwort, sow thistle. Of 

 26 specimens examined by Newstead, " 88 contained 

 seeds of sycamore ; 3, hawthorn kernels ; 1, seeds 

 of elder ; 9, seeds of blackberry ; 2, seeds of self- 

 heal ; 11, seeds of dock; 3, seeds of charlock; 3, 

 seeds of nettle ; 2, hawkweed ; 1, fruit-buds." 

 The same authority states that during the month 

 of July, August and September this bird subsists 

 very largely on the seeds of self-heal, and he has 

 watched it for hours together feeding exclusively 

 upon the seeds of this noxious weed. 



The Linnet is a seed-eating bird, and feeds freely 

 on the seeds of charlock and other weeds. It is 

 known to eat the seeds of self-heal, dandelion, dock, 

 and mouse-ear hawkweed. Newstead records an 

 enormous flock of Linnets feeding on the seeds of 

 charlock which had practically overgrown a field 

 of potatoes. 



The Goldfinch in the natural state feeds principally 

 on seeds — thistle, knapweed, groundsel, dock, and 

 others. 



The Skylark eats the seeds of annual meadow 

 grass, lychnis, polygonum, chickweed, plantain, 

 charlock, and other weeds. 



The House Sparrow does good during several 

 months of the year by eating weed seeds, as those of 

 charlock, plantain, chickweed, buttercup, knotgrass, 

 filed bindweed, goosefoot, dandelion, dock. 



The Ycllowhammer and other buntings appear to 

 consume many weed seeds, including knotgrass, 

 plantain, groundsel, chickweed, thistle, dock, and 

 others. 



The Wood Pigeon does an immense amount of 

 service by eating great quantities of weed seeds — 

 charlock, shepherd's-purse, corn crowfoot, docks, 

 goose-grass, plantain, knotgrass, ragweed, hemlock, 

 and others. It also eats the succulent roots of 

 silver weed and other weeds. 



These few birds are merely quoted as examples 

 of those which devour large c^uantities of weed seeds. 

 The Pheasant, Partridge, Corncrake, Siskin, Redpoll, 

 and BrambUng or Mountain -Finch also do much 

 good in this way. 



The Lancashire Farmers' Association have 

 decided to make every effort to secure the 

 prohibition of the shooting of the Lapwing 

 and the taking of its eggs after April 1st. 

 A correspondent writes to Bird Notes 

 AND News to protest against the proposal 

 to protect the bird all the year, and also 

 against the Home Secretary's reference to 

 egg-taking as a legitimate industry. " I 

 do not know," he adds, " where it is a 

 legitimate industry ; certainly as a landlord 

 I should not think of allowing the eggs of 

 the Plover or any other wild fowl to be 

 taken on my ground." 



Another corresjDondent describes the find- 

 ing of Tawny Owls in a semi-conscious and 

 dying state, and asks if there is any epidemic 

 among these birds. From the account it is 

 plain that they were feeding on mice 

 jooisoned with some destructive virus. 

 This danger should be considered by persons 

 seeking to destroy vermin and thus poison- 

 ing the vermin's natural enemy. 



The Aberdeen Free Press (May 28th) 

 comments on the extraordinary ravages of 

 the leatherjacket grub, whole fields of oat- 

 plants having disappeared. Aberdeenshire 

 is one of the counties where the farmers 

 have been active in shooting Rooks, who 

 eat this grub. 



