68 WILD LIFE CONSERVATION 



Eight species devour the larvae of the crane flies 

 that are so destructive to grass and wheat. 



The beautiful and once very common killdeer 

 plover and the spotted sandpiper feed upon the 

 army-worm and other pests of the grain-fields. 



Cutworms are eaten by the avocet, woodcock, two 

 sandpipers and two plovers ; and one of the latter, 

 the killdeer, destroys the cotton-worm, cotton cut- 

 worm, tobacco-worm and tomato-worm. The de- 

 testable bill-bug, one of the special enemies of corn, 

 is eaten by eight species of shore-birds. It is 

 reported from Corpus Christi, Texas, that upland 

 plovers are industrious in following the plough, and 

 eating the grubs that destroy garden vegetables, 

 corn and cotton crops. 



An observer in Fall River, Massachusetts, has 

 reported the following facts regarding the spotted 

 sandpiper: "Three pairs nested in a young orchard 

 behind my house, adjacent to my garden. I did not 

 see them once go to the shore for food (shore about 

 1,500 feet away), but I did see them many times 

 make faithful search of my garden for cutworms, 

 spotted squash-bugs and green flies. Cutworms 

 and cabbage- worms were their special prey. After 

 the young could fly, they still kept at work in my 

 garden, and showed no inclination to go to the shore 

 until about August 15. They and a flock of quails 

 just over the wall helped me wonderfully." 



And yet, let us add, there are grown men in this 

 country, tens of thousands of them, who think it is 



