SECOND ANNUAL MEETING, 25 



able names and reputations at least, are not realh' as bad as we are 

 sometimes requested to believe them to be. 



The Crows, Eavens, Magpies, and immediate relatives are what might 

 be termed "omnivorous" in food-habits, eating everything that comes 

 their way. Crows, however, have been shown to feed largely on in- 

 sects, which in great measure at least, offsets the harm done in other 

 directions. They also feed on various substances, the removal of which 

 is for the general good. 



The Eaven is too rare a bird in this state to be taken into considera- 

 tion in respect to food-habits, and the Magpie certainly can be put 

 out of the question of doing any possible harm for the same reason. 

 This leaves then to be considered, the Jays, of which we seem to have 

 six or seven distinct kinds; but only two of these are at all common. 

 The Blue Jay is found over the entire state, and is familiar to every- 

 body. The second species is found only in the western and north- 

 western portions among the pine forests, and is known as the Pinon 

 Jay or "Camp-robber" — the latter name not very flattering to the bird 

 I must confess. 



The Blue Jay does much of the mischief that is laid at the door of 

 the Eobin, orioles, thrushes, and other birds, and then sneaks away un- 

 observed. He also destroys large numbers of insects and robs the 

 nest of some small birds. 



In the Bobolink, Meadowlark, Orioles, and Blackbirds we have some 

 of the most important insect destroyers among the feathered tribes. 

 The Bobolink is with us only during the summer months when it is 

 entirely insectivorous; and the same can be said of the Cowbird, al- 

 though the latter has the bad habit of compelling other birds to rear 

 its young. 



In the Eed-winged Blackbird we have a friend that we little dream of 

 when we see the large tiocks gathering about our corn-fields during late 

 Slimmer and early fall. During the balance of the year it is engaged 

 most of the time in waging war on various insect pests, including such 

 forms as the "grub-worms," cut-worms, gras.shoppers, army worm, beet 

 caterpillar, etc. Even when it visits our corn-fields it more than pays 

 for the corn it eats by the destruction of the worms that lurk under the 

 husks of a large per cent of the ears in everj- field. 



Several j-ears ago the beet fields in the vicinity of Grand Island were 

 threatened great injury by a certain caterpillar that had nearlj' defoli- 

 ated all the beets growing in many of them. At about this time large 

 flocks of this bird appeared and after a week's sojourn the caterpillar 

 plague had vanished, it having been converted into bird tissues. jN^um- 

 erous other records of the eflficiency of their labor as destroyers of 

 insect pests might be quoted in favor of this bird, but I do not believe 

 this to be necessarj^ although considerable evidence has been recorded 

 of its destroying both fruits and grains. 



The Baltimore Oriole has received such a bad reputation here in Ne- 



