THE EXTENSION 7 
Bureau of Biological Survey, that without the services 
of insect-eating birds, ‘‘it is more than likely—nay, it is 
almost certain—that within a limited time not only would 
successful agriculture become impossible, but the destruction 
of the greater part of vegetation would follow.’’ The fol- 
lowing statement made by F. E. L. Beal in 1897 is significant 
in this connection. ‘‘It has been known that birds play an 
important part in relation to agriculture, but there seems 
to be a tendency to dwell on the harm they do rather than on 
the good. Whether a bird is injurious or beneficial depends 
almost entirely upon what it eats, and in case of species 
which are unusually abundant or which depend in part upon 
the farmers’ crops for subsistence the character of the food 
often becomes a very practical question. If crows or black- 
birds are seen in numbers about corn fields, or if woodpeck- 
ers are noticed at work in an orchard, it is perhaps not sur- 
prising that they are accused of doing harm. Careful in- 
vestigation, however, often shows that they are actually de- 
stroying noxious insects, and also that even those which do 
harm at one season may compensate for it by eating noxious 
species at another. Insects are eaten at all times by the ma- 
jority of land birds, and during the breeding season most 
kinds subsist largely and rear their young exclusively on 
this food. When insects are unusually plentiful, they are 
eaten by many birds which ordinarily do not touch them. 
Even birds of prey resort to this diet, and when insects are 
more easily obtained than other fare, the smaller hawks and 
owls live on them almost entirely. This was well illustrated 
during the recent plague of Rocky Mountain locusts in the 
Western States, when it was found that locusts were eaten 
by nearly every bird in the region, and that they formed 
almost the entire food of a large majority of species.’’ 
Since this was written extensive investigations have 
been carried on in all parts of the United States and at all 
seasons of the year. Detailed information is now at hand, 
regarding the food habits of most of our common species. — 
That of other species is being worked out as rapidly as state 
and national funds will permit. In case a question arises 
regarding the apparent destructiveness of any species be- 
fore beginning indiscriminate slaughter the matter should 
be refered to those expert in these matters either in the De- 
partment of Agriculture at Washington, D.C., or the N. D. 
Agricultural College and Experiment Station. Available in- 
formation will then be furnished as a basis for Judgment re- 
garding further procedure and in ease there is need for fur- 
