SUPPLEMENT TO BIRDS OF ESSEX COUNTY 9 



That birds, when given a chance, are of great value in fighting these pests 

 was well shown in an acre of mixed woodland on my own place. This I have made 

 attractive for birds and have never sprayed, but have removed only the brown-tail 

 nests. Several years ago gypsy moths started to devastate it and their egg-clusters 

 were abundant in the fall. A pair of Chickadees had nested in one of my boxes 

 there, and five or six of these birds were busily at work in this limited area all 

 winter, with the result that the gypsy-moth eggs disappeared. Fortunately the 

 insect and vegetable parasites have in the last five years made such inroads on 

 these two insect pests that their influence for evil on a large scale is practically 

 over in Essex County. 



Another factor influencing the numbers of birds in Essex County is the arrival 

 of the Starling and its considerable increase during the last ten years. All hole- 

 breeding birds are in danger of being driven out by this alien. The English 

 Sparrow, on the other hand, has probably diminished in numbers to some extent. 

 Our native birds are adjusting themselves to its presence. The diminution is 

 more marked in towns and villages, however, than in the country. 



Another alien, in this case a human one, the Italian workman, has also 

 increased in numbers in the County and has undoubtedly had a bad effect on the 

 avifauna. Although these aliens are not allowed the possession of a gun unless 

 they are real-estate owners to the extent of $500, and take out an alien-hvmter's 

 license for $15, they have secretly done much shooting of birds as well as trapping 

 and liming. All is game that comes to their net from Chickadee to Pheasant. 



The extensive and increasing use of automobiles has undoubtedly contributed 

 to the reduction in numbers of Pheasants and Ruffed Grouse. By means of the 

 automobile, residents of cities are enabled to visit a number of widely separated 

 shooting-areas in the same day and shoot these birds. Many of these ' game 

 hogs ' exceed the limit allowed by law, but by distributing the bag among the 

 passengers of the automobile the penalty, in the rare chance that they are inspected 

 by a warden, is escaped. The electric street-railroads have also contributed in 

 the distribution of gunners. 



The rapid extension of cities and towns beyond their former limits, and the 

 substitution of clean lawns and shade trees for natural tangles and swamps, has 

 also had its effect on the bird population. 



A change has been made in the character of some of the lamps in the light- 

 houses during the last five years, which has apparently rendered them less destruc- 

 tive to birds. This is the case at Thatcher's Island where formerly, as shown in 

 the original Memoir, a large, although decreasing, number of birds was killed. 

 Instead of ordinary kerosene lamps with their yellow lights there is now used a 

 spray of kerosene oil and air, which brings a Wellsbach mantle to a white heat 



