454 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1913. 



SHORE BIRDS AND DISEASE. 



Deadly maladies are carried about by the myriads of mosquitoes 

 and flies that abound on the coasts of tropical and subtropical coun- 

 tries. Yet the shore birds, which render invaluable services to man by 

 destroying these venomous pests, are thoughtlessly killed by him in 

 countless thousands. 



To his honor, be it said, one of the first acts of Mr. Wilson when he 

 became President of the United States was to issue an Executive 

 order prohibiting, under heavy penalties for infraction, the destruc- 

 tion of any wild bird in the Canal Zone. 



GAME BIRDS AS WEED DESTROYERS. 



Unquestionably weeds serve a useful purpose in nature, but that 

 purpose is not the occupation of cultivated land. Without check 

 they would speedily choke all grain to death. 



' Constant use of harrows and hoes will do much on farm lands and 

 in gardens to keep down weeds, but as most earth is full of weed seed, 

 which retains its vitality for years, the life of the tiller of the soil is 

 one continuous struggle against these troublesome plants. In this 

 battle the bird is of great assistance, for the number of weed seeds 

 eaten by birds on cultivated land must be beyond any assignable 

 quantity. 



I Game birds generally are the greatest eaters of weed seeds. They 

 are also useful to man in several other ways. Not only do they de- 

 vour mature locusts, but they scratch up and eat the eggs. They also 

 consume in large quantities termites and other equally pernicious 

 insects. The reckless shooting of game birds is to be deprecated. 

 They are of far more use alive than in swelling the bag of the sports- 

 man. 



The quail is perhaps the greatest weed destroyer of all the game 

 birds. It is doubtful, indeed, if the quail is not more useful to man 

 than any other bird. It is very nearly wholly beneficial. During 

 spring and summer it feeds on many of the most destructive of in- 

 sects, and in autumn and winter it eats an enormous amount of seeds 

 of many harmful weeds. 



The report of the United States Biological Survey says : 



It is reasonable to suppose that in the States of Virginia and North Carolina 

 from September 1 to April 30 there were four quail to each square mile of land. 

 The crop of each bird holds half au ounce of seed and is filled twice a day. 

 Since at each of these two daily meals harmful weed seeds constitute at least 

 half the contents of the crop, a half ounce daily is consumed by each bird. 

 On this basis the total consumption of harmful weed seeds by quail from 

 September to April in Virginia and North Carolina amounts to 1,341 tons. As 

 destructive insects form about one-third of the bird's food from June to August, 

 quail consume 341 tons of these pests in these States wdthin those two months. 



