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NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [14:4— April, 1918 



PENNSYLVANIA 



North East. The North East Nature Club is preserving its vitality during 

 the winter, as indicated by the following suggestions from Mr. Cushman: 



Nature Notes 



Our Nature Club has donated a moth book, by Holland, to the public 

 library. This is a companion to the butterfly book by the same author that 

 was added to the library some time ago. The illustrations in both are colored 

 to nature. The Holland insect books rank high. 



Now is the time to take down your bird houses, renovate them and make 

 any needed repairs. Should vermin be found in any of them, as is quite likely 

 to be the case, put them in a tight box or barrel and smudge them with sulphur 

 fumes. Then lay them away out of reach of English sparrows until spring. 

 Bluebirds will be the first to need them. They come soon after the first robins. 



The stately and beautiful grackle, commonly known as crow blackbird, is 

 gettingjmto ill repute here. They go in great flocks and can make short work 

 with a tree of cherries. I know of several instances here this year where they 

 came in great flocks and took two or three bushels in that many days from 

 people who had but one tree — literally skinned the trees; took all they had. 

 The law lists them as game birds, and provides that they may be shot in Octo- 

 ber and November. A queer law, for they are not here then ; have gone south. 

 The law allows of their being killed at any time by a land-owner, on his premises 

 if detected in the act of destroying the young or eggs of other birds, of pulling 

 corn, or of taking fruit; but for various reasons that does not fill the bill. 

 They belong in the category with the English sparrow, and deserve no favors 

 at our hands. Conservation and economy call for a great reduction in their 

 number. 



SAVE 



WS.S. 



WAR SAVINGS STAMPS 



ISSUED BY THE 



UNITED STATES 



GOVERNMENT 



SERVE 



