30 NEBRASKA ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION 



of being- responsible for the disappearance of all other birds, but in 

 southeastern Nebraska, at least, I believe the charge to be unfounded 

 for this reason. It is the House Wren particularly that the Sparrow 

 is accused of driving- off, and on Orchard Grove farm, where I live, the 

 House Wren is the one kind of bird, except the Blue Jay, that seems 

 to get more numerous every year. The reason, to me is clear. It is 

 not the English Sparrow, but the Blue Jay, that is driving off the birds, 

 and the Wrens build their nests in places where the Jays can not get 

 at them. 



Now I have a little story to tell concerning another phase of the 

 Blue Jay's food habits. The Blue Jay can eat kernels of corn, which 

 small birds can not do. It happened once that I had a crib of corn 

 some distance from the house, unused during the summer. It was 

 covered with hay, but at one corner the covering got off, leaving the 

 corn exposed. I saw Blue Jays flying to that hole during the summer. 

 When in the fall I emptied the crib, there were at least half a bushel 

 of empty cobs by that hole in the cover. 



I am therefore convinced that from the standpoint of a Nebraska 

 farmer, Blue Jays are injurious, and we should do our best to put a 

 check to their increasing numbers. 



OKNITHOLOGY IN THE SCHOOLS 



WILSON TOUT, UTICA 



In a paper read before the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union last year 

 I attempted to give the reasons why the study of the birds should be 

 a part of the curriculum of every public school. It again becomes a 

 pleasant task to discuss the subject along educational lines, but I shall 

 not again attempt to make an extended plea for the introduction of 

 elementary ornithology into the schools of the state. 



The solution of the bird protection problem can never be reached 

 by courts, laws, or officers. The small boy is one of the chief offend- 

 ers, and these vestments of authority seldom cover or even reach his 

 thoughtless acts of destruction. If all of the boys could be shown the 

 harmful results of killing the birds and destroying their nests what 

 an army for bird protection there woxild be within a few years. If 

 the girls were taught the folly of pandering to the demands of fashion 

 when it calls for the sacrifice of countless innocent victims the game 

 wardens now needed to protect our birds would have to seek some 

 other vocation if they Avould still prosper. The school is the founda- 

 tion of reform movements in other lines — why not in this? 



In the former paper I gave the why and where; in this paper I 

 shall attempt to give the how and when of bird study. 



