26 NEBRASKA ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION 



braska as a grape thief during the past few years that I feel inclined to 

 g'ive extra time and space in endeavoring- to "clear him" of such an un- 

 enviable charge. This, however, I hardly think necessary when the 

 facts in the case are known. As insect destroyers both this bird and 

 the Orchard Oriole have had an undisputed reputation for many years; 

 and the kinds of insects destroyed by both are of such a class as to 

 count greatly in their favor. Caterpillars and beetles belonging to 

 injurious species comprising 9G per cent of the food of three speci- 

 mens killed is the record we have in their favor. On the other hand, 

 grapes have been punctured only "presumably by this bird, since he has 

 so frequently been found in the vineyard and must be the culprit." 

 Now I myself have seen the Oriole in apple orchards under compromis- 

 ing circumstances, and have heard pretty strong evidence to the effect 

 that it will occasionally puncture rijie apples. It also belongs in the 

 same family with some generally acceiited "rascals," hence I will ad- 

 mit that possibly some of the charges with which he is credited may 

 be true; but I still believe that most of the injuries to grapes in this 

 and other states must be laid to the English Sparrow. 



If we take pains to water our birds during the dr3^ seasons they will 

 be much less apt to seek this siipply from the juices of fruits that are 

 so temptingly near at hand. Place little pans of water in the orchard 

 and vineyard where the lairds can visit them without fear of being 

 seized bj^ the house cat or knocked over by a missile from the alert 

 "small boy," and I am sure that the injury to fruit, to a great extent 

 at least, will cease. 



Eecent investigations tend to prove that the Grackle or Crow-Black- 

 bird does more good than harm and should be protected. 



Our Sparrows and their allies, taken together, form a very extensive 

 family of very beautiful as well as useful birds. Like the warblers, 

 they occupy themselves with searching for and destroying insects all 

 summer long; but this is not all they do that is good. In fall, winter, 

 and early spring, Avhen Mother Earth has lost her brilliant green and 

 rests in sombre browns or beneath ice and snow, the longspurs. Snow 

 Bunting, Snowbird, and some of the siJarrows that have remained 

 with us are busily engaged in gathering for themselves a living. They 

 hop and fly about from place to place searching for and picking up 

 little seeds of grass, grain and weeds, of shrubs and trees, and ap- 

 propriating the same to their iise, chirping merrily as they work 

 away. The European House Sparrow, or the English Sparrow as it is 

 more commonly called, has the ^^'orst reputation of the entire family. 

 But even this bird has some redeeming traits. 



The "Tanagers are insect destroyers, feeding- for the most part on 

 such forms as attack the foliage of trees. 



All of our Swallows are insect destroyers, capturing siich forms as 

 gnats, flies, etc., which they seize while on the wing. The large col- 

 onies of different species of these birds that breed within the state, as 



