CAUSES FOR THE DECREASE OF SONG BIRDS 9 



of the people who write for them and advertise in them 

 belong to the same class. 



We do not want more birds in dark and dusty collec- 

 tions ; we want more birds to sing to us and our children 

 from bushes and tree tops. 



5. Birds on Hats. The wearing of birds on hats 

 has fearfully decreased, or almost exterminated a num- 

 ber of bright-plumed southern birds. I have not learned 

 of song birds being hunted in the central and northern 

 states of the Mississippi basin to adorn ladies' hats. 1 



6. The English Sparrow. There can be no doubt 

 but that this pugilistic, chattering rogue worries away 

 very many birds which would otherwise nest near our 

 homes ; however, its sins have probably been somewhat 

 exaggerated. 



7. The Lack of Food. Insects of nearly all kinds 

 and waste grain are so abundant in every settled region 

 that perhaps no species of song bird has decreased on 

 account of lack of food during the summer time. For 

 autumn and spring migrants and for winter residents 

 there is no such regular and abundant food supply. 



8. The Extensive Use of Poison in Farming and Garden- 

 ing. I cite this as a possible cause for the decrease of 

 birds. Since the potato-bug has spread over the whole 

 country every gardener and farmer uses large quantities 



1 See : "The Wearing of Heron's Plumes or Aigrettes," by Frank 

 M. Chapman. Published by the Audubon Societies of New Jersey and 

 New York. Write for it to the secretary of any State Audubon 

 Society. 



See also: "The Work of the Audubon Societies," by the 

 author, in the Delineator, March, 1898. 



