12 
PROTECTION. 
In food habits, birds are eminently adaptable; seeds, plants, fruit, 
insects, flesh, or fish are all acceptable to various species and, consequently, 
nearly all regions have their quota of appropriate birds. A bird lives fast, 
its heart beats more rapidly than that of other animals, the blood temper- 
ature is higher, and it consumes an enormous amount of energy in flight. 
This feverish heat and strenuous exertion requires a correspondingly large 
amount of food, consequently the bird as an economic factor is one to be 
regarded seriously. Though it may be an exaggeration to say, as some 
writers have inferred, that the whole balance of nature depends upon 
birds and that without them the country would be a barren waste peopled 
only by insects, yet birds cannot be seriously reduced in number without 
the gravest results. The destruction of tons of weed-seeds and millions 
of insects must necessarily have a great influence upon human welfare and 
neglect of this fact must seriously react upon any community that fails 
to give proper protection to its birds. 
However, the problem of the status of individual species of birds 
is not the simple thing that it superficially appears to be. More than 
a cursory examination is necessary and many things must be considered 
in order to arrive at the truth. Sometimes birds work in harmony with 
human welfare and sometimes against it. They may be directly beneficial 
at one season and harmful at another, or their indirect influence may alter 
the sum of their direct effects in a most surprising manner. 
General impressions then as to whether a bird is beneficial or harmful 
require careful checking. Mere casual observation in life is never sufficient 
to determine even its food supply. Modern practice bases such conclusions 
almost entirely upon the examination of the stomach contents of wild 
birds taken throughout the year, which is the only evidence that is not 
subject te question. In this work the United States Biological Survey 
has examined and passed upon thousands of bird stomachs and the results 
of its researches are available to those who care to study and use them. 
As one of the factors in the delicate balance of nature birds should 
be respected. 
There are certain birds which from their size, habits, and general food 
value are regarded as legitimate game. The pursuit of these is invigorating 
sport and tends to the healthful welfare of the sportsman, teaching wood- 
craft, hardihood, out of door adaptability, and marksmanship. The true 
sportsman has a code of ethics of his own founded upon economic as well 
as humanitarian principles. He shoots nothing without giving it a fair 
chance and little that cannot be used as food. He is also careful not to 
deplete the game upon which his future sport depends. Restrictive 
measures have invariably followed rather than preceded the results that 
have made them necessary, the regulations that are enacted to-day should 
have been adopted yesterday and the consequence is that over much of the 
country, game is a thing of the past. 
MEANS OF ATTRACTING BIRDS. 
To anyone interested in birds, the pleasure of having them about 
the house and garden where they can be observed at leisure, is a very great 
enjoyment. A small garden patch can be made attractive to many species 
