18 USEFUL BIRDS. 
insect eater, and only occasionally resorts to corn or other grain, it 
would be hardly just to make war upon him. 
Interesting and valuable publications upon this subject are 
Chapman’s “Bird Life’ (not economic), Appletons publishers ; 
“Birds in Their Relation to Man,” by Weed and Dearborn, Lippin- 
cott; Chapman’s “Handbook of Birds of Eastern North America ;” 
synoptical and descriptive; very helpful in identification, Appleton 
& Co. 
Amongst larger works, perhaps not so easily accessible to the 
amateur are Coues’ “Key to North American Birds;” Baird, 
Brewer & Ridgway’s “North American Birds;”’ several publica- 
tions of the Department of Agriculture, for the most part out of 
print now, and somewhat antiquated; and more recently Farmers’ 
Bulletin No. 531 (U. S. Bureau of Biological Survey) “Fifty Com- 
mon Birds” with colored illustrations (out of print); and a helpful 
publication upon “Bird Houses and How to Build Them,” by Dear- 
born—Farmers’ Bulletin No. 609, Sept. 11, 1914. 
In the United States Yearbook for 1909, pp. 185-196 (Yearbook 
Separate No. 504) occurs an interesting article by McAtee on 
“Plants Useiul to Attract Birds and Protect Fruit.” 
PROTECTION OF PLANTED CORN FROM CROWS AND 
OTHER ANIMALS. 
Corn, after being planted, is subject to the attacks of a few ani- 
mals which cause loss to the farmer. Chief among these at times 1s 
the crow, and any treatment given the seed to protect it from the 
attacks of this bird, will, at the same time, afford protection against 
a few insects which occasionally eat the seed, and also reduce the 
loss from striped squirrels, gophers, and kindred four-footed crea- 
tures. 
We have found that white twine about the edges of a corn field, 
strung on high poles, and hung with strips of tin (one about every 
thirty feet), white rags, etc., to be an excellent device in keeping 
crows away from a planted field. If, in addition to this, a few dead 
crows are suspended from high poles in different parts of the field, 
the combination of white twine, bright tin shining in the sun, and 
the dead crows as a warning to would-be evil doers, works so well 
that the farmer may rest assured it will be many days before his 
field is touched by these marauders. This remedy, or the twine 
alone, by the way, is 1n quite general use today. 
