FOOD OF WEST VIRGINIA BIRDS 



greed, slothfulness and ignorance. The same low order of intelligence 

 that denuded China of her forests, and turned her hillsides into gullied 

 barrenness, has swept away fully 95 per cent, of the birds and mammals 

 of America that were most useful to man." Still we have birds in great 

 numbers in field, forest and swamp; among the hills, along our rivers 

 and high up in the mountains; in winter, spring, summer and fall; 

 and in every possible condition of environment. Though not quite so 

 numerous in species as formerly and far fewer in numbers of individuals, 

 birds are still common, and one does not need to go far in any place in 

 West Virginia to find a number of interesting things take place in the 

 bird world. With careful protection the numbers of our useful birds 

 may be far greater within the coming years. 



Variety. 



Our birds are found in great variety as well as in great numbers. In 

 the first place they vary in size. Among our small birds are to be 

 numbered the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, the Blue-gray Gnat-catcher 

 and the Golden-crested and Ruby-crowned Kinglets; while among our 

 large birds we have the Eagles, the Turkey Vulture, the Great Blue Heron 

 and the Wild Turkey. Some are scarcely larger than a bumble bee, 

 while others are almost as tall as a man and have great extent of wing. 

 In the second place, our birds differ in form and color. The Ruffed 

 Grouse, Wild Turkey and Bobwhite are compact in form, but the Herons 

 and Bitterns are loose-jointed and awkward; the Swallows and Terns 

 are most graceful in flight, but other species fly with great difficulty; 

 some are tall, others are low; some are brilliantly colored, others are 

 brown and obscure; the Snowy Owl, the Snowflake and some of the 

 Herons are white, while the Blackbirds, the Crows and the Raven are 

 black; among the Warblers there are creatures so exquisitely colored 

 that one doubts the statement sometimes made that tropical species are 

 more gorgeously colored than those of temperate regions, while some 

 of the Sparrows, the Vireos and Flycatchers are as modest as a quaker 

 in their attire. In quality of song there is also much difference among 

 our birds. Among those that have no song may be listed the Cedar Bird, 

 the Ruby-throated Hummingbird and several of the Flycatchers. Our 

 best songsters are the Wood Thrush, the Veery, Robin, Bluebird, Louisi- 

 ana Water-Thrush, Bachman's Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Song Sparrow, 

 Winter Wren, Cardinal, Carolina Wren, Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher, 

 Catbird, Fox Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Warbling 

 Vireo, Solitary Vireo, Cairn's Warbler, Baltimore Oriole, Orchard Oriole, 

 Bobolink, Red-winged Blackbird and others of slightly less musical 

 ability. Our study of the food-habits of birds will convince us, also, 

 that birds are not all alike in their habits nor in their usefulness. Some 

 are very useful, others are of questionable status, while a few are posi- 

 tively harmful. The endless variety in our birds makes them interesting, 

 and calls for a careful study of each species. 



